It’s the latest in a long line of internet trends, and as usual, it seems to have come from nowhere and taken off at the speed of light. The challenge involves posing like a shop mannequin whilst being videoed, the more people involved and the wackier the poses, the more status and shares the video will receive.
It’s believed the challenge started life with a group of students in Florida who posted the first video in October 2016, and just a month later a search for the hashtag on Twitter or Instagram brings up thousands of videos from all over the world.
The videos are typically backed by the song Black Beatles by Rae Sremmond, a trend that has led to a surge of success for the band’s album, Sremmlife 2. The band themselves have got in on the hype, posting their attempt at the challenge at a recent gig. Even Paul McCartney, who’s name-checked in the song, has fully embraced the shop mannequin challenge.
The world of celebrity has got fully behind the #MannequinChallenge, meaning participants really need to up their game if they don’t want to be classed as a cheap attempt at a mannequin video. Hilary Clinton, Beyonce and, closer to home, Ant and Dec with the “I’m A Celebrity” crew have all got involved in the fun.
Source: Liverpool Echo
How long will the trend last?
It’s anyone’s guess, but with the #runningmanchallenge, started in Spring, still flooding social media newsfeeds, it’s likely the #mannequinchallenge still has plenty of life left in it. With posts becoming stranger and stranger as the weeks go on, it’s likely to be filling all our Twitter feeds for a while longer, before something even zanier takes over.
Some of the more recent posts have even started to include real shop mannequins if the trend keeps its current momentum it may not be long before the shop mannequin market sees an uplift in mannequin sales.
Why not make the most of the trend, get your shop involved and post a video including your shop mannequin display?
If you want to keep your business current and cash in with some organic viral marketing, taking advantage of the #MannequinChallenge may not be a bad idea. Valentino’s have a wide range of mannequins for sale, and the prices are fantastic. So if you need to up the ante on your shop mannequins before you make your video, check out the cheap mannequins available at Valentino’s Displays.
The rules are simple:
- 1. No moving (obviously)
- 2. Get as many people involved as you can (plus some shop mannequins)
- 3. The crazier your shop mannequin poses the better
- 4. Pick a good soundtrack (it doesn’t have to be Black Beatles)
- 5. Make sure both your human and shop mannequins are dressed in your latest stock
- 6. Don’t forget to include #MannequinChallenge when you post
So, are you going to take up the #MannequinChallenge? Let us know how you get on.