Instagram egg

The photo was originally taken by Serghei Platanov, who then posted it to Shutterstock on 23 June 2015 with the title "eggs isolated on white background".{{cite web |last=Shamsian |first=Jacob |url=https://www.insider.com/world-record-egg-instagram-photographer-interview-meme-2019-1 |title=The guy who took a photo of an egg that broke Instagram's world record is shocked it became a meme: 'Egg is just an egg' |work=INSIDER |date=16 January 2019 |access-date=17 September 2022 |archive-date=19 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190119174357/https://www.thisisinsider.com/world-record-egg-instagram-photographer-interview-meme-2019-1 |url-status=live }}

On 4 January 2019, the @world_record_egg account was created, and posted an image of a bird egg with the caption, "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."{{cite web|url=https://fox5sandiego.com/entertainment/an-egg-plans-to-dethrone-kylie-jenner-as-most-liked-instagram-photo/|title=An egg plans to dethrone Kylie Jenner as most liked Instagram post|first1=Malik|last1=Earnest|date=11 January 2019|publisher=Fox 5 San Diego|access-date=17 September 2022|archive-date=3 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190203134201/https://fox5sandiego.com/2019/01/11/an-egg-plans-to-dethrone-kylie-jenner-as-most-liked-instagram-photo/|url-status=live}}{{cite news|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/14/entertainment/egg-kylie-jenner-instagram|title=Meet the egg that broke Kylie Jenner's Instagram record|last=France|first=Lisa Respers|quote=I, for one, welcome our new embryoverlord.|date=14 January 2019|publisher=CNN|access-date=17 September 2022|archive-date=16 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190416030203/https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/14/entertainment/egg-kylie-jenner-instagram/index.html|url-status=live}} Jenner's previous record, the first photo of her daughter Stormi, had garnered a total of 18.4 million likes.{{cite web|url=https://www.cnet.com/culture/internet/instagrams-most-liked-post-is-going-to-be-an-egg-sorry-kylie-jenner/|title=Instagram's most-liked post is now just an egg, sorry Kylie Jenner|last=Ryan|first=Jackson|date=4 January 2019 |publisher=CNET|language=en|access-date=17 September 2022|archive-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503014120/https://www.cnet.com/news/instagrams-most-liked-post-is-going-to-be-an-egg-sorry-kylie-jenner/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/13/style/egg-instagram-most-liked.html |title=An Egg, Just a Regular Egg, Is Instagram's Most-Liked Post Ever |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=15 January 2019 |date=13 January 2019 |archive-date=14 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114153449/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/13/style/egg-instagram-most-liked.html |url-status=live }}{{subscription required}}

The post quickly reached 18.4 million likes in just under 10 days, becoming the most-liked Instagram post at the time. It then continued to rise over 45 million likes in the next 48 hours, surpassing the "Despacito" music video and taking the world record for the most-liked online post (on any media platform) in history.{{efn-ua|name=liked|A source from 14 January 2019 says that with over 25 million likes, the only online post with more likes than the egg is the "Despacito" YouTube music video with 31 million likes; however, the egg as of December 23, 2022 has 58.4 million likes.}}{{cite web|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/01/14/congratulations-this-egg-becoming-instagrams-most-liked-post-ever/|title=Congratulations to this egg on becoming Instagram's most-liked post ever|last=Ohlhieser|first=Abby|date=14 January 2019|newspaper=Washington Post|access-date=14 January 2019|archive-date=14 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114170230/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2019/01/14/congratulations-this-egg-becoming-instagrams-most-liked-post-ever/|url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2017/08/09/here-are-all-the-records-despacito-broke-on-youtube/|title=Here Are All The Records 'Despacito' Broke On YouTube|first1=Hugh|last1=McIntyre|date=9 August 2017|work=Forbes|access-date=14 January 2019|archive-date=14 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114153435/https://www.forbes.com/sites/hughmcintyre/2017/08/09/here-are-all-the-records-despacito-broke-on-youtube/|url-status=live}}{{cite magazine |url=https://time.com/5501749/egg-photo-bests-kylie-jenner-instagram/ |title=An Egg Has Beaten Kylie Jenner's Record for the Most-Liked Photo on Instagram |first1=Ashley |last1=Hoffman |date=14 January 2019 |magazine=Time |format=Video |access-date=17 September 2022 |archive-date=17 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117163607/http://time.com/5501749/egg-photo-bests-kylie-jenner-instagram/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2019/jan/14/kylie-jenner-the-egg-instagram-likes|title=How an egg beat Kylie Jenner at her own Instagram game|last=notes|first=Pass|date=14 January 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=24 January 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|archive-date=24 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190124051516/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2019/jan/14/kylie-jenner-the-egg-instagram-likes|url-status=live}}

After the account became verified on 14 January 2019, the post rose in popularity and likes, which snowballed into coverage in various media outlets.{{cite web|url=https://www.delish.com/food-news/a25881958/egg-most-liked-instagram-photo/|title=This Picture Of An Egg Just Beat Kylie Jenner For Most-Liked Instagram Of All Time|last=Funston|first=Lindsay|date=14 January 2019|website=Delish|language=en-US|access-date=14 January 2019|archive-date=14 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114210340/https://www.delish.com/food-news/a25881958/egg-most-liked-instagram-photo/|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Farber |first1=Madeline |title=Egg that beat out Kylie Jenner for most-liked Instagram photo recognized by the American Egg Board |url=https://www.foxnews.com/lifestyle/egg-that-beat-kylie-jenner-for-most-liked-instagram-photo-recognized-by-the-american-egg-board |access-date=18 September 2022 |work=Fox News |date=16 January 2019}}

By 18 March 2019, the post had accumulated over 53.3 million likes, nearly three times the previous record of 18.4 million. It posted frequent updates for a few days in the form of Instagram Stories.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/14/18181806/instagram-most-liked-post-egg-kylie-jenner|title=Egg picture beats Kylie Jenner as most-liked Instagram post of all time|last=Porter|first=Jon|date=14 January 2019|work=The Verge|access-date=24 January 2019|archive-date=23 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123162516/https://www.theverge.com/2019/1/14/18181806/instagram-most-liked-post-egg-kylie-jenner|url-status=live}}

Alongside the like tally, as of January 2023 the post has 3.8 million comments.

Several individuals tried to claim that they were the account's creator, the claims being dismissed by "the egg" on Instagram direct messages.{{Cite web|url=https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/race-monetize-world-record-instagram-egg/581686/|title=The World-Record Instagram Egg Is Going to Make Someone Very Rich|last=Lorenz|first=Taylor|date=31 January 2019|website=The Atlantic|language=en-US|access-date=2 February 2019|archive-date=1 February 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201231044/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/01/race-monetize-world-record-instagram-egg/581686/|url-status=live}}{{efn-ua|One of Instagram star Supreme Patty's crew members drunkenly bragged to a TMZ reporter that Supreme Patty was behind the account. Marketer Ishan Goel also called several news outlets claiming the egg and its success.}} On 3 February 2019, the creator of the Instagram egg was revealed by Hulu and The New York Times to be Chris Godfrey, a British advertising creative. Alissa Khan-Whelan, his colleague, was also outed.

On 18 January 2019, the account posted a second picture of an egg, almost identical to the first one apart from a small crack at the top left. As of 25 February 2019, the post accumulated 11.8 million likes. On 22 January 2019, the account posted a third picture of an egg, this time having two larger cracks. In less than 25 minutes, the post accumulated 1 million likes, and by 25 February 2019, it had accumulated 9.5 million likes. On 29 January 2019, a fourth picture of an egg was posted to the account which has another large crack on the right hand side, attracting 7.6 million likes by 25 February 2019.{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/world_record_egg/|title=EGG GANG 🌍 (@world_record_egg) • Instagram photos and videos|website=www.instagram.com|language=en|access-date=23 January 2019|archive-date=28 April 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190428220549/https://www.instagram.com/world_record_egg/|url-status=live}} On 1 February 2019, a fifth picture of an egg was posted with stitching like that of a football, referencing the upcoming Super Bowl. That post had accumulated 6.5 million likes by 25 February 2019. The account promised that it would reveal what was inside the egg on 3 February, on the subscription video on demand service Hulu.{{Cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BtW_NkigixI/|title=EGG GANG 🌍 (@world_record_egg) • Instagram photos and videos|website=www.instagram.com|language=en|access-date=1 February 2019|archive-date=22 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191122203957/https://www.instagram.com/p/BtW_NkigixI/|url-status=dead}}

The Hulu Instagram egg reveal was used to promote an animation about a mental health campaign. A caption from the clip read, "Recently I've started to crack, the pressure of social media is getting to me. If you're struggling too, talk to someone." The video was later posted on the @world_record_egg Instagram account, and this post received over 33 million views by May 2019.{{cite web |last1=Lieu |first1=Johnny |title=Most likes Instagram photo uses account for mental health awareness. |url=https://mashable.com/article/hulu-world-record-egg/ |website=Mashable |date=4 February 2019 |access-date=22 February 2019 |archive-date=22 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190222111802/https://mashable.com/article/hulu-world-record-egg/ |url-status=live }} As of May 2020, it had received over 41 million views.{{cite web

|url= https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdYQwincYv/

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200512111224/https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdYQwincYv/ |archive-date=12 May 2020 |url-status=dead|title=#EggGang on Instagram: "Phew! I feel so much better now 😊 If you're feeling the pressure, visit talkingegg.info to find out more. Let's build this list together…"

|date=February 4, 2019

|website=Instagram

|publisher=world_record_egg

|access-date= November 2, 2021

}}{{cbignore}}

On 16 July 2019, Chris Godfrey (the creator of the account) was listed as one of the top 25 most influential people on the internet.{{cite magazine |title=The 25 Most Influential People on the Internet |url=https://time.com/5626827/the-25-most-influential-people-on-the-internet/ |magazine=Time |date=2019-07-16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408063534/https://time.com/5626827/the-25-most-influential-people-on-the-internet/ |archive-date=2023-04-08 |url-status=live}}

On 20 December 2022, the record for the most-liked Instagram post was surpassed by a post from Argentine footballer Lionel Messi, showing him and his teammates celebrating after winning the 2022 FIFA World Cup with their national team.{{Cite web |last=Barlow |first=Ruairidh |date=2022-12-20 |title=Lionel Messi breaks record for most liked ever Instagram post |url=https://www.football-espana.net/2022/12/20/lionel-messi-breaks-record-for-most-liked-ever-instagram-post |access-date=2022-12-20 |website=Football España |language=en}} The world record egg responded to being overtaken in likes by Messi with "Today [Lionel Messi] has taken the crown, for now. But I’m still left with one question… Who is the greatest of all time – Cristiano Ronaldo or Leo Messi?"{{Cite web |title=World Record Egg responds after losing most liked picture to Lionel Messi |url=https://www.ladbible.com/news/world-record-egg-lionel-messi-958692-20221220 |access-date=2022-12-21 |website=LADbible |date=20 December 2022 |language=en}}

The account sold to Dubai-based investor Mustafa El Fishawy in April 2024 for an undisclosed seven-figure sum.{{cite news|last=Calnan|first=Marianne|url=https://www.campaignasia.com/article/team-behind-eugene-the-world-record-egg-sell-rights-for-seven-figure-sum/495577|title=Team behind Eugene the world-record egg sell rights for 'seven-figure sum'|magazine=Campaign|date=19 April 2024|access-date=25 February 2025}} Reed Smith, who advised Godfrey, Brown, and Khan-Whelan in the transaction, stated they opted to sell it to "focus on new ventures."{{cite news|url=https://www.reedsmith.com/en/news/2024/03/reed-smith-advises-on-sale-of-talking-egg|title=Reed Smith advises on sale of Talking Egg|work=Reed Smith|date=27 March 2024|access-date=25 February 2025}} On 3 June, @world_record_egg posted an egg with the flag of Palestine in support of the country during the Gaza war; the post's caption described it as an "Egg for Peace" and hoped to "set a new world record together and get the most liked post on Instagram for a good cause."{{cite news|last=El-Terk|first=Noor|url=https://www.middleeasteye.net/trending/world-record-egg-instagram-goes-pro-palestine-peace|title=Instagram egg, former internet sensation, has gone pro-Palestine|website=Middle East Eye|date=11 June 2024|access-date=25 February 2025}}

In response to breaking the world record for the most-liked Instagram post, the account's owner wrote "This is madness. What a time to be alive." Hours later, Kylie Jenner posted a video on Instagram of her cracking open an egg and pouring its yolk onto the ground, with the caption: "Take that little egg."{{cite news |url=https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kylie-jenners-response-having-her-110300010.html |work=Celebrity Cosmopolitan |title=Kylie Jenner's Response to Having Her Instagram Record Smashed by an Egg Is Too Funny |via=Yahoo |date=15 January 2019 |access-date=15 January 2019 |archive-date=15 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115023637/https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/kylie-jenners-response-having-her-110300010.html |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BsmPezCnZ4I/|title=Kylie on Instagram: "Take that little egg"|publisher=Instagram|language=en|access-date=15 January 2019|archive-date=15 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190115221227/https://www.instagram.com/p/BsmPezCnZ4I/|url-status=live}}

Pundits pontificated on the meaning of the egg picture's dominance over social media's "first family". As Vogue observed, tapping a heart pictogram is easy, and eggs are "lovable". More pointedly:

[T]he attention economy is a scam based on requiring little to no labor from both producer and consumer despite commanding the most space, and therefore value, in our digital lives... but it very well could be: As a metaphor for the fragility of the influencer ecosystem, the egg has broken the Internet.{{cite news |url=https://www.vogue.com/article/world-record-egg-account-beat-kylie-jenner-instagram |title=An Egg Beat Kylie Jenner on Instagram |date=14 January 2019 |first1=Bridget |last1=Read |work=Vogue |access-date=19 January 2019 |archive-date=20 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190120093536/https://www.vogue.com/article/world-record-egg-account-beat-kylie-jenner-instagram |url-status=live }}

The significance of the event and its massive republishing are a topic of discussion.{{efn-ua|"You can roll your eyes and say, great, the world is falling apart and we are talking about an egg. Or you could say that we’re talking about an egg because the world is falling apart. It’s bleak out there, and the egg is a feel-good story, a kind of social media rags-to-riches tale."}}

A University of Westminster researcher of internet memes compared it to the movement to name a scientific research vessel in the United Kingdom as Boaty McBoatface.

The Instagrammer's success is a rare victory for the unpaid viral campaign on social media. "There is a bit of an anti-celebrity revolt here – 'look what we can do with a simple egg{{'"}}

The researcher suggests that the accomplishment of becoming such a widely heralded unpaid viral post may become increasingly rare, as social networks rely more on paid and business promotion.{{cite magazine |url=https://www.wired.co.uk/article/instagram-egg-world-record |title=Why Instagram's world record egg is the last of a dying breed |quote=As social networks rely more on paid promotion of content, celebrities realise they can buy their way to virality and big business muscles in, the happenstance viral hit is going to become a rare delight. |first1=Chris |last1=Stokel-Walker |magazine=Wired |access-date=15 January 2019 |archive-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123165555/https://www.wired.co.uk/article/instagram-egg-world-record |url-status=live }}

The post's spread has been characterized as a populist backlash against "consumerism"{{cite web |url=https://news.artnet.com/opinion/instagram-egg-1440070 |title=The World's Most-Liked Instagram Post Is a Picture of an Egg—And It Hatches a New Age of Conceptual Art for the People |quote=It's the viral sensation of the moment. But it has an art-historical precedent. |first1=Ben |last1=Davis |publisher=Artnet Worldwide Corporation |website=Artnet |date=15 January 2019 |access-date=17 January 2019 |archive-date=16 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116045828/https://news.artnet.com/opinion/instagram-egg-1440070 |url-status=live }} and is seen by some as a triumph of community over celebrity.{{cite web |url=https://www.entrepreneur.com/science-technology/what-a-record-breaking-egg-and-its-title-of-most-liked/326304 |title=INSTAGRAM: What a Record-Breaking 'Egg' and Its Title of Most-Liked Instagram Post Ever Can Teach Us |first1=Luis |last1=Garcia |work=Entrepreneur |date=23 January 2019 |access-date=17 September 2022 |archive-date=23 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190123160629/https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/326304 |url-status=live }} However, propelled by their popular success, the creators promised to release 'egg-centric' memorabilia.

Hundreds of games based on the Instagram egg have appeared on Apple's App Store. The creators of the Instagram egg also reached a deal to promote Hulu.{{cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |url=https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/hulu-instagram-world-record-egg-super-bowl-1203126742/ |title=Hulu Buys Sponsorship With Instagram's World Record Egg, Tied to Super Bowl |date=2 February 2019 |work=Variety |access-date=2 February 2019 |archive-date=2 February 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190202100301/https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/hulu-instagram-world-record-egg-super-bowl-1203126742/ |url-status=live }}

{{portal|Internet}}

• List of Internet phenomena

{{Reflist|group=upper-alpha}}

{{reflist}}

Hinkle, Nathan. Instagram Egg Provides Community in Corporate-Dominated Setting. Carlsbad: Uloop, Inc, 2019. Print.

The Rise of the Instagram Egg. Carlsbad: Uloop, Inc, 2019. Print.

• [https://www.instagram.com/p/BsOGulcndj-/ The original Instagram photo]

egg

Category:2010s photographs

Category:2015 in art

Category:Eggs in culture

Category:Internet memes introduced in 2019

Category:Internet celebrities

Category:Promotion and marketing communications

Category:Social media

Category:Viral marketing

Category:2019 in Internet culture

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