At press time, City Line’s “Mannequin Challenge” video had been viewed almost 4,000 times and shared by 22 people.
On November 11, City Line Florist posted a 40-second video to Facebook with the caption, “Take time… to stop and smell the roses!” In the video, staff members stand frozen in the showroom, design room — even the display and walk-in coolers. One pair of team members even appears to be caught “fighting” over a bouquet.
The video builds on the fun of the so-called “Mannequin Challenge,” which first appeared online around Halloween.
“The rules are simple,” according to CBS News with Scott Pelley, which covered the trend on November 15. “Get a group together. Strike a pose. Then stay still as the camera weaves through a scene frozen in time, like walking through a picture.”
“My daughter thought it would be a good idea to bring to the florist industry,” said Sue Palazzo of City Line. “It was totally impromptu. We spoke about it the night before, my nephew came by the next day to film and orchestrate it, we briefly explained it to our help and boom…it was done! We were hysterical over it.”
City Line made the video the day after the election and “not only did it release tension in our own shop but thought it would put smiles on our customers’ and fans’ faces,” she said. “Also, we thought it would be a great way to showcase our shop in the video.”
High school students are believed to have started the lighthearted movement, which recalls other phenomenon such as planking, but celebrities, sports teams and public officials have taken part, too. During a visit to the White House, the Cleveland Cavaliers even made a video with First Lady Michelle Obama.
For its part, the City Line Video left customers cracking up. “This is brilliant,” wrote one poster. “Made me laugh out loud,” said another person. And, proving Palazzo’s point, the effort proved very effective in driving engagement on the florist’s page. At press time, the video had been viewed almost 4,000 times and shared by 22 people.
