Filipinos are obsessed with yellow duck hair clips.

Millions of hair clips adorned with yellow rubber ducks have been purchased and used by people in the Philippines in recent months.

According to media reports, the yellow duck craze originated from a carnival in mid-2023 in Baguio City (about 200 km from Manila). These cute little rubber ducks, attached with springs, became an inexpensive accessory that brought 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 media. Videos showing students, office workers, and others wearing yellow duck hair clips on the street or to work have delighted many people.

The yellow duck hair clip is popular among Filipinos and is used daily. (Screenshot)

Many internet users shared photos of themselves wearing the yellow duck hair clips on their personal pages along with humorous comments. "You'd look a bit out of place without the yellow duck"; "The ducks have springs, and they sway with each step, they look so cute"; "For older people like me, these ducks are beautiful, they make me look a few years younger," some commented.

Currently, yellow duck-shaped hair clips are sold for about 100 pesos (44,000 VND) for 3 pieces. On e-commerce platforms like Shopee and Lazada, 5 of these hair clips cost around 65 pesos. Besides the yellow duck-shaped clips, many other products in the shape of chicks, hearts, or hair clips have also become popular.

Filipinos are obsessed with yellow duck hair clips.

Many people working in the Philippines bring yellow duck hair clips to work. Source: @ericaclaire_

Dr. Jimmuel Naval at the University of the Philippines said there's no deeper meaning behind this trend. "People simply like to follow trends. People tend to follow trends because they don't want to be left behind. This applies not only to hair accessories but also to food," the doctor said. He also gave the example that office workers used to not drink coffee, but now there's Starbucks. Office workers used to only drink tea, but now it has to be bubble tea.

This isn't the first time cute, inexpensive accessories have become a sensation. Back in 2015 in China, sprout-shaped hair clips also became a popular item. CNN reported that an online store on the e-commerce platform Taobao sold one million of these hair clips.

Professor Gao Yuanyang, a sociologist at Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China, says it's not surprising that sprout clips or similar alternatives have quickly become a trend.

"People need something new to liven up their monotonous lives. It could be a hair clip, a handbag, or a uniquely designed T-shirt," Mr. Gao said.

Minh Phuong (According to Straitstimes )

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