Name: How to make a splash in social media
Uploaded: 2009-12-15T14:45:00Z
Duration: 4 min 9 s
Description: In a funny, rapid-fire 4 minutes, Alexis Ohanian of Reddit tells the real-life fable of one humpback whale's rise to web stardom. The lesson of Mister Splashy Pants is a shoo-in classic for meme-makers and marketers in the Facebook age.

In a funny, rapid-fire 4 minutes, Alexis Ohanian of Reddit tells the real-life fable of one humpback whale's rise to web stardom. The lesson of Mister Splashy Pants is a shoo-in classic for meme-makers and marketers in the Facebook age.

How to make a splash in social media

A playful online vote to name a humpback whale turned Mister Splashy Pants into a viral sensation, rallying internet communities and ultimately swaying a global environmental campaign. What began as a joke quickly snowballed, with 78 percent of votes supporting the quirky name and prompting Greenpeace to embrace the unexpected momentum. The episode revealed how web culture levels the playing field, letting grassroots energy drive major outcomes. Sometimes, letting go of control unlocks powerful collective action.