Where Did All The 'Temu Pig Shirt' Memes Come From? The Origins Of The Viral Twitter Ad-Turned-Meme Explained

An aggressive Temu ad has been popping up all over X / Twitter lately, and users are speaking out and posting their reactions and memes to the product as it makes the rounds online.

The advertisement offers shoppers a "stylish" graphic T-shirt with an image of a pig printed on it, and it's both confusing and enchanting to everyone who finds themselves haunted by its presence.

But where does the image of the pig even come from and how are the people of social media reacting to the ad? Here's what you need to know about the so-called "Temu Pig Shirt."

What Is The Temu Pig Shirt?

Sometime in 2023, a Temu seller began selling a graphic T-shirt printed with a piece of art depicting a pig lounging in a sauna. The pig's belly has been positioned on the shirt to line up with the wearer's belly. Since then, a few other sellers have taken to selling the funny shirt. But where does the pig art even come from?

The artwork of the pig lounging in the sauna is from a 2017 advertising campaign for a line of Midea air fryers. The campaign consisted of two images, one of a cow in the sauna and one of a pig in the sauna, each attached to the tagline, "cuts 80% of the fat from food."

The image started spreading online following the release of the campaign until it finally made its way to Temu, becoming a graphic tee at some point in the last several years.

How Is The 'Temu Pig Shirt' Used In Memes?

In mid-October 2024, X users then started getting a targeted ad from Temu that specifically advertised the Temu pig shirts. The ad even called the shirt "stylish," a statement that has been questioned by some.

The ad's increasing presence on X inspired some users to make posts drawing attention to the ad, which has now inspired a wave of memes about the shirt.

Some of the most viral memes come from users who have photoshopped the shirt onto various people, such as the Four Lads in Jeans or actress Anne Hathaway. Others are simply acknowledging the aggressive advertising of the shirt.

Now, some users are taking a closer look at Temu's ads and sharing them in a similar way, with one example being an ad for a "dog wig." So, if you're looking for an affordable pig shirt or a dog wig (or maybe both), you know where to go.

For the full history of the Temu pig shirt, be sure to check out Know Your Meme's encyclopedia entry for more information.