The reigning king of viral content, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, swept the nation, and eventually the world, throughout the summer of 2014. Millions of people - celebrities, politicians, newscasters and civilians alike- took to social media to raise money and awareness for Lou Gehrig's disease (ALS). And while many have attempted to duplicate its success, there may be a new challenge waiting in the wings to take the crown- enters the Twizzler Challenge.
The concept began on this year's Night of Too Many Stars, America Comes Together for Autism Programs (which aired March 8th) where MSNBC and Today Show co-host Willie Geist shared a Twizzler with Orange is the New Black star Uzo. The duo then challenged Meredith Viera, who graciously accepted and passed the honor onto fellow NBC colleagues Matt Lauer and Kathie Lee, leading to yesterday's unforgettable Lady and the Tramp style smooch.
So, is the Twizzler challenge the next viral phenomenon? While it's too soon to tell, and since viral content is often unpredictable, we can look at some factors that could make the Twizzler Challenge the new king of viral content, or just another challenge court jester:
What's the same?
The general premises of the challenges are the same; partake in a comical activity on video, pledge to donate money to the cause and conclude with challenging friends and family to create a domino effect. Both challenges are cause-based and call attention to conditions that are in need of research and awareness. According to the Center for Disease Control, 1 in every 68 children is diagnosed with some sort of Autism, giving people all the more reason to raise money and awareness for this particular cause.
What's different?
The differentiators of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge are twofold; first, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was an original concept rather than a copy cat or piggy back attempt. As the originator, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge was new, fun and socially engaging, giving people nothing to compare it to. Second, the origin of the challenge was organic and did not begin as a celebrity-driven initiative. Long story short, the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, which didn't start with a specific cause, evolved from videos of people with and families affected by ALS, eventually catching like wildfire to create a campaign that generated over $115 million.
Only time will tell if this Lady and the Tramp-esc challenge is the next to take the world by storm. In the mean time, pucker up and have your pocket mints ready, you could be next!