Buzz
‘Catfishing’ refers to someone pretending to be someone they’re not online to deceive others, often leading to manipulation or blackmail. On a lighter note, there’s ‘snackfishing’—which, while less harmful, can leave people feeling puzzled, embarrassed, and hungry.
On November 4, 2023, the Instagram account UK Snack Attack posted a reel featuring what seemed to be a bottle of transparent Heinz ketchup. The video quickly garnered 1.2 million likes, with viewers expressing shock and disgust.
The caption confirmed what many had already guessed: The product was a fake. “Snackfish :[sn-a-ck-fish] verb,” the post read, following a humorous yet misleading description of the made-up food. ”A snack that deceives its audience about being a real product online, all for clout and attention. Most often created with Adobe Photoshop.”
The individual behind the UK Snack Attack account—a data analyst from London named Benji—revealed to WIRED that the bottle contained hair gel. But the deception didn’t end there: UK Snack Attack has showcased a range of unbelievable food products, including pumpkin spice Coca-Cola, glitter Nutella, and Pringles ice cream.
Benji’s journey into snackfishing started during his college years. In 2019, he and his roommates made a pastime of discovering and trying out unusual Fanta flavors. This ignited an obsession with bizarre snacks, which he began sharing on a dedicated Instagram account.
As the 2020 COVID-19 lockdowns made it hard to shoot content in stores, Benji had to get inventive. He began crafting his own creations, like homemade Nutella, and even designed fake labels using Photoshop. His work became so popular that one of the brands he was mimicking reached out to ask him to include a disclaimer. Since then, every one of his snackfishing posts has carried the tag—but, naturally, many viewers overlook the captions.
Cyber News interviewed Benji about how some viewers react to the food items they think are real. He shared, “Most people take the snackfishes lightly, but sometimes I see frantic comments asking where I bought the product! It’s intriguing to see how passionate people can get.”
