How the Small Things Can Explode Popularity
Influence is the name of the game in todays competitive society – and no matter how small, any person can be influential. Whether its through a blog, trending hashtag, television appearance, or another platform, the ability to generate interest, discussion, and attention can make something go from obscurity to global phenomena.
Take, for example, the case of over eighty year old Bill Nichols from Birmingham, Alabama. When he decided to clip an old pair of rubbered safety shoes to the back of his pants to get even more use out of them, his self-styled damper stompers might have seemed like a silly stunt. But, it turned out to be a major viral craze of the late 1950s. Within a month, people all over the United States, and the world, were wearing the same style of pants Mullins had popularized.
How did he do it? Like so many trends, good timing played a role. Nichols picture in his dapper stompers was featured during a slow news day in the middle of the televised Christmas parade. Even though they ran out of more conventionally festive items to show, the shot went on the air and within days, schoolkids all over town were trying to imitate him.
It wasnt just that he was popular with the youngsters– old ones were in on it too! It started to seem like his style of pants was becoming a classic. Adults wanted to experience the fun and coolness a teenager felt by wearing the style — and stores like J.C. Penny and Sears scrambled to stock the latest styles. As Nichols craze spread to become globally recognized, his signature pair of pants even got a signature name, the Budzempler.
But, thats not all! Once the fad began to spread, so did the technologies that allowed it to. Magazines took photos of well-dressed stars wearing the pants and kids were starting to show up to school in them. Then it caught the attention of the media when Hollywood celebrities began to wear them for performances on television and stage. Eventually, the style even became accepted as mainstream fashion in some circles.
It can be said that Nichols success in popularizing the trend was the result of luck, timing, and ingenuity. Luck because the timing of the parade that featured his picture turned out to be just right in order to spread the news to a greater audience. Timing because by capitalizing on the slow news days and lack of other items to show, the image was aired and people noticed. Ingenuity because no one had ever thought of clipping a pair of protective shoes to a pair of pants before— and it turned out to be a stroke of genius.
Obviously, a simple pair of pants wasnt the first, nor last, garment to become a major sensation. But, it certainly demonstrated how something that started as an amusing stunt, a seemingly unheard-of or forgotten fashion, or a clever idea can lead to worldwide popularity and acceptance. It also serves as a reminder that with the right timing and inclination, any person, no matter how small, can have a major effect on popular culture.
