Online fame for Rocket Centre's freeze frame

Earlier this week, Formula One chief Bernie Ecclestone was removed from his post after over forty years at the top of the sport, following the takeover of new rights owner, Liberty Media.

And after revolutionising Formula One through the television deals that made him a billionaire, it seems those ‘old media’ deals were the primary reason Ecclestone’s reign was brought to a swift end.

Faced with the challenge of predictable races and ever-decreasing TV audiences, together with the conundrum of overturning a policy of replacing much-loved historic races in favour of characterless new ones in countries that refuse to engage with digital media, Liberty are all set to transform the F1 model all over again.

Liberty Media’s experience of internet broadcasting, and in particular - their expertise of social media, will usher in a seismic shift in the way F1 fans will be watching their favourite sport from hereon in.

Seeing such a huge impact of one of the world’s biggest sports events (F1’s viewing figures are outstripped only by the Olympics and the World Cup), perfectly demonstrates the sheer power of social media in 2017, and whether it’s a breaking news story, the rise of a new celebrity, or the introduction of a new word to our daily language - today’s biggest talking points always start on social media.

Never more has this become more apparent than with the popularity of new trends, with videos going viral in mere hours, and copycat tributes quickly being shared with the world.

In the last few years alone, we’ve seen versions of ‘the Oscars selfie’, planking, and the Ice Bucket Challenge all being replicated across the world by everyone from A-list celebrities to primary school children, but late last year, it was the turn of the Mannequin Challenge to sweep its way across the web.

A viral video craze that features people imitating mannequins by freezing for the camera as music plays in the background, famous participants have included Adele, Britney Spears, James Corden, and a rather impressive mid-flight version featuring former POTUS Barack Obama, on Air Force One.

Not to be outdone, Blackburn-based motorcycle dealership The Rocket Centre, posted a Mannequin Challenge video of their own via their Facebook account, and thanks to its quirky poses and detailed insight of the inner sanctum, its popularity quite literally ‘rocketed’!

The North West’s biggest motorcycle dealership posted the video back on Remembrance Day 2016, and to date, it’s had over 6,300 views, generating hundreds of shares, likes and comments.

The three minute video features a handful of the general public together with over 20 members of staff, and as well as demonstrating the sense of humour of the team, it also reveals the sheer scale of the operation at the independently-owned store.

Touring the reception, back-end offices, showroom and workshop, the viral video takes in a mixture of mischief-making, the replenishment of merchandise, and vehicle maintenance, alongside a deal being done, and a rather unfortunate accident!

Commenting on the success of the video, Wayne Ainsworth, ecommerce & digital marketing manager said “We were really keen to showcase the personalities behind the Rocket Centre to our customers across the country, so producing a fun video was a no-brainer. While we were really pleased with the initial outcome, we were absolutely overwhelmed by the way our Mannequin Challenge captured the imagination, and very proud of the engagement it created.” To view the video for yourself, head on over to the Rocket Centre’s Facebook page, and be sure to follow them on Twitter @RocketCentre and Instagram for all the latest updates and news of special offers and events.