Viral Now: The first kiss

Clothing brand Wren recently launched a video that featured nearly 20 strangers kissing each other. The three-minute film aimed to promote its autumn/winter line.

It is said that people always remember their first kiss; nowadays, some even document it as a video on their smartphone. But, have you ever heard of kissing a total stranger, recording a video and publishing it? Clothing brand Wren has done just that, and released the video of kissing strangers on social media.

The maker of the film, Tatia Pilieva, got 20 strangers to kiss each other in a studio. The kissing couples were filmed and their reactions documented in a video. The entire film was shot in black and grey with melodious background music.

Although the film begins with the protagonists reluctant to kiss totally unknown persons, later, they seamlessly get into the act. Their awkward laughter and initial hesitance add charm to a rather simple video.

Published on March 10, the video has already garnered over 74 million views on YouTube.

Someone watching the film for the first time will find it difficult to identify it as a commercial, and the protagonists are actors/models working for a clothing brand. The video may be a wasted opportunity for Wren despite such a success and is a case of extremely subtle marketing where the viewers are not able to associate with the brand.

Following the success of the video, several replicas and parodies have already surfaced on social media platforms.

(Viral Now is a section about videos that are catching people's fancy on social media).

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