Filipinos are crazy about yellow duck hair clips

Millions of hair clips with yellow rubber ducks attached have been bought and used by Filipinos in recent months.

According to media reports, the yellow duck craze started at a mid-2023 carnival in Baguio City (about 200 km from Manila). The cute little rubber ducks attached to springs became cheap accessories, bringing joy to people of all ages.

Nowadays, the question "May bibe na ba lahat" (Do you have a duck yet?) has become popular on social networks. Videos of students or office workers wearing yellow duck hair clips on the street or to work have made many people excited.

Yellow duck hair clips are popular and used daily by Filipinos. Screenshot

Many internet users shared photos of themselves with yellow duck hair clips on their personal pages with many humorous comments. "If you don't put a yellow duck on your head, you will feel a bit lost"; "The ducks are attached to springs, swinging back and forth with each step, looking very cute"; "For old people like me, these ducks are very beautiful, they make me feel a few years younger", some people commented.

Currently, yellow duck-shaped hairpins are sold for about 100 pesos (44,000 VND) for 3 products. On e-commerce platforms such as Shopee and Lazada, the price of 5 hairpins is about 65 pesos. In addition to yellow duck-shaped hairpins, many products in the shape of chicks, hearts or hairpins have also become popular.

Filipinos are crazy about yellow duck hair clips

Many workers in the Philippines wear yellow duck hair clips to work. Source: @ericaclaire_

Dr. Jimmuel Naval of the University of the Philippines says there is no deeper meaning behind the trend. "People just like to follow trends. People tend to follow trends because they don't want to be left behind. Not only with hair accessories but also with food," he says. He also gives an example of how in the past, office workers didn't drink coffee, but now there is Starbucks. Office workers used to drink tea, but now they have to drink milk tea.

This isn’t the first time cute, cheap accessories have become a hit. In 2015, sprout-shaped hair clips became a hit in China. CNN reported that an online store on the Taobao e-commerce platform had sold a million of these hair clips.

Professor Gao Yuanyang, a sociologist at Shanghai Jiaotong University in China, said it was no surprise that sprout clips or alternatives quickly became a trend.

“People need something new to spice up their dull lives. It could be a hair clip, a handbag or a uniquely designed T-shirt,” said Mr. Gao.

Minh Phuong (According to Straitstimes )

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