The Crazy Ice Bucket Challenge!

Twitter, Facebook or any form of social media is flooded with ice bucket challenge stories nowadays. You will find interesting videos of your favorite celebrities taking up the challenge and challenging others to do the same. So what exactly is this topical trend that has managed to grab eyeballs from all over the world? What makes it so unique? How has it managed to raise more than $50 million for ALS charities in less than a month? So how did the entire idea of ice bucket challenge come into inception? Let’s find out:

The Myth and the truth

Well, a former Boston college baseball player, Peter Fates was diagnosed with ALS in 2011. Later this year on July 31, he challenged some people including celebrities to participate in the ice bucket challenge with the intention of swiping ALS. So, as the story goes Pate Frates is the guy behind the idea that has swept the entire world. Well, the story might sound quite interesting but it is just a myth.

In fact, the entire concept of plunging yourself in chilly water isn’t new at all. “Polar bear plunges” is an event which is held all over the world and the history of which can be traced back to 1904. Another such similar event, the Gatorade shower involves soaking people by putting buckets of liquid on them.

So, the idea of ice bucket challenge has nothing to do with an ALS diagnose guy but rather a group of pro athletes who were involved in a dare that required pouring cold water over themselves. Equipped with this idea, Chris Kennedy, a golfer merged the idea of the fundraiser with the ALS research.

Ok, so what if I tell you the entire story is still not true. There are many other interesting versions of the story but no matter what the truth, this viral trend has managed to spread a contagion of fun and enjoyment throughout the world.

How do you get into the Ice bucket frenzy

Well, the rules of the game are really simple and here is how you become a part of the freezing water frenzy and make it count:

• Get challenged: The first step is the most important step! As you would have already come to know, there is this hilarious trend of posting ice bucket challenge videos. The person taking the challenge calls out three names and challenges them to take the ALS ice bucket challenge.

• Accept: If you are one of those lucky people who have been challenged, then you have 24 hours to complete it. If you refuse the challenge then it is assumed that you are an asinine person who loves Lou Gehrig’s disease. So you have two options, either to take the challenge and dump ice water over yourself or refuse the challenge and instead donate $100 for ALS research. Even if you take the challenge, you can still make the benefaction to the charity.

• Take the challenge: Now it’s time to keep the bucket, ice and water ready along with the video capturing device. Dump the water on your head and challenge 3 other people!

This wave has proven that social media can do wonders in terms of marketing. The challenge with its perfect marketing strategy has managed to impress celebrities and common people worldwide. With the perfect timing and apt goal, this indeed has come across as a good marketing campaign. All these are reasons good enough to show that it has managed to garner a lot of popularity and also collected a whopping sum of more than $50 million.