The Instagram account @world_record_egg was originally designed as a fun way to challenge and question social media, its creators say. However, the account quickly morphed into an opportunity to focus on mental health positivity and to encourage people to speak up.
Following nearly a month of suspense, the mysterious Instagram account that became famous for a picture of an egg—which came out of left field to break Kylie Jenner's record for likes on a single post—revealed its identity late Sunday night. "Identity" is a loose term, though: The egg serves as part of a mental health awareness campaign.
Egg Gang—a group comprising Chris Godfrey, 29, who works in advertising at The & Partnership in London, and two friends, according to The New York Times—is responsible for the Instagram account. The mysterious original post of a brown egg from Jan. 4 now has over 52 million likes, and the account has 10 million followers. The group "declined to talk about the money it has been offered or the big names it has come into contact with," according to the Times.
Nick Tran, Hulu's vice president of brand marketing and culture, said that Hulu agreed to partner with Egg Gang because they believed in their mission of spreading mental health awareness and wanted to enable them "to share their message as broadly as possible."
"It wasn't just a stunt—it was really about a vision they had to promote something good in the world," Tran said.
Tran also said that Hulu did not want this video to be exclusive to Hulu customers, noting that he believed viewers would record the video off their phones and share it with the world.
At the start of the video, the egg—which is slightly cracked, has drawn-on eyes and makes some sounds—introduces itself. Then, it notes, "Recently I've started to crack. The pressure of social media is getting to me."
The egg then makes a direct plea to viewers, stating, "If you're struggling too, talk to someone." The final still of the episode directs viewers to mentalhealthamerica.net.
The site belongs to Mental Health America, a nonprofit founded in 1909 that is "dedicated to addressing the needs of those living with mental illness and to promoting the overall mental health of all Americans." The organization currently has over 200 affiliates in 41 states.
Erin Wallace, chief communications officer at Mental Health America, said that the Egg Gang reached out to them regarding using their website at the end of the video. However, Mental Health America was not part of the production of the video.
The reaction to the video "has been great, and we are thrilled that World Record Egg used its big reveal to shine a light on mental health," Wallace said. "It's important for people to speak up about their mental health, and to seek help if they need it."
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