Prosek Takes on the #MannequinChallenge
You may have heard about the newest viral sensation, the #MannequinChallenge. For those who haven’t, here’s a quick catch-up:
At a recent concert, artist Rae Sremmurd and his group had the whole crowd (including themselves on stage), freeze in place as though they were mannequins enacting an action scene (click here to see). The idea went viral, from professional to local sports teams, and everyone in between, taking on the #MannequinChallenge (here’s a particularly well-staged #MannequinChallenge).
To be sure – viral sensations are nothing new in today’s digital world. Few could forget the Ice-Bucket Challenge to raise awareness for ALS, which included a standout performance from your very own Prosek Partners (click here for a 2014 post of our well-intentioned shenanigans). And even those who tend to shy away from the dance floor were able to master the relatively catchy Harlem Shake (see our 2013 coverage here).
And while dousing ourselves in ice-water or dancing like nobody is watching takes a lot of courage, this is one of the first viral campaigns requiring some level of strategic planning and story-telling, two fundamental components of PR.
The point of the challenge is for every “mannequin” involved to use their own pose to help tell one cohesive action scene. The Dallas Cowboys, for instance, staged their challenge as a celebratory moment on their flight back home after racing out to a 7-1 record to start their NFL season (click here). And another group staged a scene where one of their friends suffered from nausea as the rest of the group, including a very well-behaved cat, looked on in astonishment (click here for that one).
So it’s without further ado that Prosek Partners, presents you with its own version of the #MannequinChallenge in a setting very familiar to PR firms: handling breaking news.
Be sure to re-share the post on all your social channels using the hashtag #MannequinChallenge! 