The 80's Era of the Egg

Blue text above and below an illustration of an egg on a curved-arm pedestal sitting emerging from a bed of clouds 

The “Era of the Egg" refers to a period in the 1980s where eggs were widely considered a healthy and versatile breakfast option. The American Egg Board (AEB), built to promote egg consumption, had myriad slogans throughout the 1970s-1990s such as this one, as well as “The Incredible Edible Egg,” its first Chicago advertising campaign in 1973. The 1980s saw a growing wave of health conciousness and an awareness of the nutritional value of eggs, leading to increased consumption and incorporation of eggs into breakfast, lunch, and dinner routines.

The American Egg Board continues campaigning efforts to this day. In Chicago of 2024, a new campaign titled “Meant to Be Broken” aims to “shift perceptions of eggs as boring to a powerhouse food with relevance in the changing lives of consumers” (“Meant to be Broken” Campaign). The AEB has made small, “bite-sized” videos showing how to use eggs to fix breakfast, lunch, and dinner and will host national programs across TV, TikTok, and Youtube media.

According to the campaign: “After all, to make a great omelet, you have to first break a few eggs.”