Are people in Japan buying eggs based on how attractive they find their manufacturers? The answer is “yes” for many
Recently, a post by a person claiming they choose which eggs to buy based on how handsome they think the manufacturers’ faces are has gathered an unexpected amount of attention on X (formerly Twitter) in Japan. Users discuss the strange phenomenon of egg manufacturers using photos of good-looking employees to attract customers and if the trend is morally sound.
On August 21, a user posted about their unique method of purchasing eggs. The user claimed that a specific carton of eggs caught their eye because of the man on its label. In Japan, it’s not uncommon for some produce to include photos of their manufacturing staff printed on the packaging. The post got a lot of users in the spirit of talking about their favorite egg manufacturers.
In reaction to the OP’s post, there were a number of users who admitted to playing favorites with their choice of eggs based on the faces of their producers, with the particular “egg representative” featured in the post above almost having a small fandom. One user commented “I totally understand… When I lived in my previous house I used to buy “Yukihira Eggs” which had Mr. Nakamura on them…… I saw him and thought, let’s buy this face…!!!”
Some users had seemingly developed somewhat of a parasocial relationship with the staff member. Another Nakamura fan confessed “I often buy this person’s eggs, and I feel a sense of closeness with him in many ways. This is really trending lol.” There were also users who wondered how the desire to buy the eggs could be increased further. One user suggested “This packaging is good and all, but It would be funnier if the photo on the package showed an uncle-age man in a white tuxedo holding a rose.” Many users shared photos of their own favorite egg manufacturers and talked about which eggs featured the best faces. There were also numerous posts mentioning the joys of having eggs one can fan over.
Some users thought that since it was actually the chickens who laid the eggs, the birds should be the ones to grace the packaging. One user joked “If you’re talking about “being able to see the face of the maker of the eggs” then shouldn’t we be using pictures of the chickens who lay the eggs… Just a thought.” However, it seems as though some manufacturers have already caught on to this technique as well.
Although many users found the trending phenomenon to be funny, there were also a number of individuals who expressed concern about the use of employee photos. One user shared “When I had a contract with my last supermarket, it was mandatory to have packaging where our faces could be seen. I seriously hated it… It’s fine if faces aren’t shown on vegetables. Good luck, egg sellers.” The subject of cost effectiveness also troubled users. One user stated “I’m not interested in the face of the person who produced the eggs, save your printing budget and only print the expiration date on the shells and use plain packaging. I’d like you to make it as cheap as possible. Even if it’s only one yen cheaper. I guess I’m a nonconformist. I just want protection from cracking.” There were also users who didn’t care for the concept on a more basic level. One user plainly stated “It’s gross.”
Many users thought the inclusion of employees’ faces on packaging was an interesting approach to selling produce, however it seems as though not everyone was on board with the trend. While some users were fans and thought the idea was a humorous part of buying groceries, others pondered the morality of having employees take pictures to sell eggs and questioned the marketing strategy’s efficacy. It appears that only with time and the purchasing power of consumers will the effectiveness of manufacturers’ faces on packaging be known.
