THE 14TH ANNUAL SHORTY AWARDS

The Shorty Awards honor the best of social media and digital. View this season's finalists!

Industry

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Auto See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Beauty See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Business to Business See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Consumer Brand See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Education See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Entertainment See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Financial Services See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Fitness, Health, & Wellness
<br>See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Food & Beverage
See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Gaming See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Government & Politics See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Hospitality See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Insurance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Live Events See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> News & Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Non-Profit See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pets & Animals See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Pharma & Healthcare See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Estate See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Restaurants See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Retail & E-Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Activism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Sports See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Television See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Travel & Tourism See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Wine, Beer & Spirits

Strategy & Engagement

See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Brand Partnership See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Call to Action See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Community Management See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Creative Use of Technology See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> CTV/OTT See previous winners and honorees for Insights and Trends here.</a> <a href=https://shortyawards.com/17th/"https://shortyawards.com/category/16th/data-visualization">See previous winners and honorees for Data Visualization here.</a>"> Data & Insights See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Earned Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Event & Experiential See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Gamification See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Humor See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Innovative Media Buying Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>""> Integration with Traditional Media See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Internal Communications See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> LGBTQ Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Micro-Influencer Strategy See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Multicultural Community Engagement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Music & Dance See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> On a Shoestring See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Organic Promotion See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Paid & Amplification See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Physical and Digital Convergence See previous winner and honorees here.</a>"> Public Service Announcement See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Real Time Response See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> SEO & SEM See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Social Commerce See previous winners and honorees here.</a>"> Storytelling

The Viral Finance Video That Made Headlines

Entered in Use of Viral Content

Objective

The goal of this video was to tap into the viral power of a trending song and create a unique, interactive experience by bringing it to life on the streets. I wrote the lyrics of the song on a large sign and went out to capture real-time reactions from passersby, making the trend more relatable and engaging.

I aimed to explore how people connect with and react to popular culture in a spontaneous, fun way, while also showcasing how social trends can be creatively interpreted and shared. By stepping outside the traditional content creation space and involving everyday people, I wanted to bridge the gap between viral content and real-world interactions.

Specific objectives included:

1. Engage my audience with a real-world experience that felt relatable.

2. Sparking conversations and reactions, which could be shared and amplified through social media.

3. Show how trends influence people’s behavior and reactions, even in everyday settings.

This video aimed to creatively combine viral song trends with real-life reactions, demonstrating the influence of social media in shaping interactions and spreading joy in everyday life.

Strategy

Strategy and Execution:

For this project, I wanted to mix a trending song with real-life reactions to create something fun and engaging. The idea was simple: take the lyrics of a trending song, write them on a big sign, and take it to the streets to see how people would react. I knew viral songs get a lot of attention, but I wanted to go beyond just sharing the song—I wanted to bring it to life in a unique way.

Planning:

I picked a song that wasn’t just popular, but had lyrics that would spark curiosity or make people smile when they saw them. I made sure the sign was big enough to grab attention and easy to read, so people wouldn’t need any explanation. My goal was for people to recognize the lyrics and immediately respond in their own way.

Execution:

I chose a busy street, knowing it would be filled with a variety of people. I stood there with the sign, waiting to see what would happen. Would people recognize the song? Would they laugh, take out their phones, or maybe even sing along? The unpredictability was the fun part—no script, just real, spontaneous reactions.

Once I started filming, I got everything from people laughing to asking questions and even filming their own videos. I made sure to capture the most entertaining moments, showing how people from all walks of life reacted to the song. It made the video feel light-hearted and full of energy.

Challenges and Overcoming Them:

One challenge was that people might not engage with the sign or understand the reference. To overcome this, I used my own energy and enthusiasm to draw people in, making the situation feel more approachable and fun. I also knew that the trend wouldn’t last forever, so I had to act fast. I filmed while the song was still trending, ensuring I captured it at its peak.

Key Features of the Video:

Spontaneity: The unplanned nature of the reactions gave the video an authentic, real feel—unlike more scripted influencer content.

• Trend Engagement: I combined the trending song with real-life interactions, turning a digital trend into something that could be experienced in the real world.

Diverse Reactions: By getting reactions from people of all backgrounds, I showed how trends can have different impacts depending on who experiences them.

Uniqueness:

What made this video stand out was the way it merged a popular digital trend with real-world interaction. It wasn’t just about the song—it was about how people responded to it on the spot, making it feel like a shared experience. The reactions were raw and unfiltered, and that’s what made the video fun and memorable. It showed how trends can cross into the physical world, creating a unique bridge between social media and everyday life.

Results

The results far exceeded my expectations and confirmed the effectiveness of my approach. While I have more than 40 videos across my social media platforms with over 1 million views, this particular video stood out for its ability to connect with a broad audience, achieving significant engagement on both Instagram (+500K views) and TikTok (+645K views). This helped me reach a wider audience beyond my usual following, amplifying its impact.

In addition to the impressive views, this video sparked a wave of engagement in real life. Many men, who didn’t quite meet the criteria, tried to highlight their own qualities—one joked, “I’m 6’5 but in years.” Women, on the other hand, excitedly said, “I want this kind of man too!”

Through this, I gained insight into modern dating standards—many men were shocked by the expectations, saying “women are too demanding.” It became clear that dating culture is a hot topic, sparking strong reactions from both sides.

The fact that this simple idea, executed with limited resources and a small team, gained so much attention and was featured in The Wall Street Journal, The Times, NBC News, and Good Morning America proves that authentic, relatable content can resonate on a massive scale.

Moving forward, I plan to expand on this concept, creating more social experiments that spark conversations about dating, relationships, and modern social dynamics. This experience has reinforced that impactful storytelling isn’t about having a big budget—it’s about tapping into what people truly care about and starting meaningful discussions.

Media

Entrant Company / Organization Name

Khrystyna Komarovska

Links

Entry Credits