It was the Dragon Boat Festival in Taiwan when I asked a friend to pick up a zongzi-shaped plush keychain I’d seen online. For those unfamiliar, zongzi is a traditional Chinese delicacy: glutinous rice with a savoury (or sweet) filling, wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed until fragrant. This version, however, came with a twist. Stitched onto the front was the unmistakable face of Snoopy, the world’s most beloved beagle.
Source: SNPY ONLY
When it arrived, I filmed a short unboxing video — just the felt “leaf” peeling back, paired with a Peanuts-themed sound clip. I then posted it to TikTok for friends who, like me, enjoy watching this kind of content. It got 100 views. I was pleased.
And then the internet found it.
Within two days, the video had hundreds of thousands of views. Strangers were tagging friends and leaving comments like “I NEED THIS” and “Where did you get it?!”. Some even messaged me asking if I was selling it (I was not).
It’s a peculiar feeling, watching SO many people love something you posted without you even… trying. The experience was somewhere between amusement and disorientation. I kept checking my phone — not for validation, but out of pure bewilderment. What exactly had happened? More importantly, why?
The answer, I think, lies at the intersection of three things: food, memory, and affection for a cartoon dog.
Here’s what that keychain taught me.
- Nostalgia is a universal language
Zongzi, like many traditional foods, is both humble and iconic. It’s rice and filling wrapped in a leaf, but it’s also a marker of childhood and heritage. Its neat triangular shape is instantly familiar to those who’ve seen or eaten it. To others, it calls to mind a family of culinary cousins: tamales in Mexico, nasi bungkus in Indonesia and Malaysia, and even (their words, not mine) “Snoopygiri” from Japan.
What made the keychain so relatable was this elasticity. It wasn’t just one thing; it became something both particular and universal — and a small token of shared nostalgia.
- Niche finds niche
I didn’t plan the post, but looking back, two simple choices helped it take off. First, I used Snoopy music. Second, I added a handful of targeted hashtags: #Snoopy, #Zongzi, #DragonBoatFestival.
Posting during the Dragon Boat Festival season gave the video context, and perhaps the algorithm boosts content that connects with the right audience at the right moment.
- People crave what feels human
There was no text. No voiceover. Just me, showing off a keychain I liked. And that, ironically, is what people responded to.
In a culture that often favours slick and polished content, simplicity cuts through the noise. Sometimes, all it takes is a beagle face on a rice dumpling to remind us that people are drawn to what feels genuine. Maybe now more than ever.
The buzz, of course, didn’t last. These things never do. The video circulated, and then the algorithm moved on.
I never tried to recreate the moment. I suspect that if I had, it wouldn’t have worked. The charm was that I wasn’t trying to charm anyone. So, if you’re wondering whether to post that odd little thing that makes you smile, do it. You never know. The internet might surprise you.
(Peanuts, if you’re reading this, I’m always open to UGC collaboration!)
Amanda Colleen Wijaya