A little mysterious. A little frivolous. A subtle discourse on popular culture, perhaps.
It’s an egg. And it’s the most Liked image on Instagram… ever
What is going on?
To set context, on January 4th, the Instagram account World_Record_Egg posted their one and only photo.
“Let’s set a world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram. Beating the current world record held by Kylie Jenner (18 million)! We got this.”
The account has a clear and simple goal. Beat the world record for most liked Instagram photo, and in the process dethrone Kylie Jenner.
According to the New York Times “Sometimes, the will of the internet just bends in peculiar ways, and in this case, the internet decided it was into that egg.”
I’d say there is more to it.
This is a marketing stunt done by some clever marketers. If exclusivity is one of the best marketing/manipulation tricks out there, mystery is a close second. Exclusivity builds tension through the fear of missing out. Mystery builds it through our simultaneous love and fear of the unknown. We wonder what it is. We desire to be part of it and to understand it.
For now, the collective ‘we’ of the Internet is on the outside, eagerly awaiting the secret to be revealed.
Until then, we will bask in the tension of the unknown. I suspect soon all will be revealed. Hopefully it’s not just another marketing agency launch stunt.