Five Seconds of Fame - Jill and Kevin’s Wedding March

The internet has the capability to turn an ordinary citizen into an international sensation overnight and of course, do wonders for your online visibility. In fact, one of the most exciting aspects of the web 2.0 revolution is the ability for content to go viral with the click of a button. Our past subjects, Susan Boyle and Clare Werbeloff are testimony to that.

Viral sharing of this nature has been greatly utilised by businesses and marketers who wish to gain from the ability to extend a campaign and easily (and cost-effectively) reach a wider audience. But this week’s subject, Jill and Kevin’s Wedding March proved that this viral phenomenon can also have important implications for philanthropic giving.

Jill and Kevin decided to tie the knot this year in a ceremony that challenged the conventions of a traditional wedding – with a choreographed dancing entrance by the entire wedding party to the song “Forever” by Chris Brown.

This delightful viral video has been making its rounds on the internet and has accrued 19,332,842 views on YouTube to date – making Jill and Kevin popular household names. The idea behind this viral phenomenon was not for them to gain personally, but when they were met with such a positive response, they decided to direct it toward gaining support for their charity of choice – the Sheila Wellstone Institute. This charity organisation is dedicated to ending domestic violence toward women and children. In the wake of the video popularity, the couple has set up their own website - jkweddingdance.com - where their worldwide supporters are able to donate and find out more about the cause.

Jill and Kevin’s off the wall and entertaining wedding dance illustrates the ability of viral videos to serve as useful tools for charities and non-profit organisations as they can easily spread information and awareness for a cause. The reputation of this dynamic couple has been cemented in history and will hopefully be a turning point for charities and organisations to take advantage of the web 2.0 revolution to bring about more positive change.