Cranberry craze
British-American rock band Fleetwood Mac last made it to the top 10 album and song charts in the United States in 1977 through the album Rumours and the hit single “Dreams.” Rumours, the 1978 Grammy Album of the Year, and “Dreams” made a comeback to the US charts this week in accidental fashion after the song figured in a viral TikTok video dubbed The Dreams Challenge (TDC).
TDC has racked up 60 million views in the video-sharing site since it was
uploaded by American TikTok user Nathan Apodaca last 25 September. The video simultaneously revived interest and curiosity for the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer band and the song. The “Dreams” MTV on YouTube has been played 10 million times so far.
TDC shows the 37-year-old Apodaca lip-syncing the background music “Dreams” after he gulped a cranberry-raspberry juice from a jug. The Idaho Falls resident was doing that while skateboarding to his workplace along the side of a highway, though his longboard is not seen on the video frame. The multitasking stunt is dangerous to any novice, but Apodaca is shown coasting the highway so gracefully as if he was floating in the wind. He was smiling and relishing his act.
It was not originally the intention of Apodaca to challenge anyone to copy him. He did the spectacle after his old Durango SUV broke down while driving to work. However, his cool demeanor in solving his transport trouble was such a good vibe to millions of people.
Apodaca also became an instant star as TV networks and newspapers have been interviewing him. Mick Fleetwood, co-founder of the band, was among the celebrities who took the TDC after the phenomenal revival of “Dreams” and his TDC version is driving up followers and viewers to his own newly-created TikTok account.
One TV interview connected Apodaca and his beneficiary, Fleetwood himself, who thanked the former for boosting the band’s songs.
Incidentally, TDC started another craze. Before the interview with Fleetwood, representatives of the company producing the cranberry juice brand that Apodaca was drinking on the video showed up at his RV home in Idaho Falls. They gave Apodaca a new Nissan pickup truck loaded with Ocean Spray juice products to thank him for patronizing the brand.
Other TDC challengers were also using the same brand of drink in their version of the video. The Ocean Spray company and executives believe that the viral video was a great marketing publicity for the brand, and they wanted to show their gratitude to Apodaca through the gifts.
Apodaca, now also an instant product endorser, and his fans may be drinking a lot of cranberry juice for a while.