AFM#4- Ideas
The Fringe is almost upon us and theres going to be thousands more people in Adelaide. Its an opportunity to do a Flash Mob that we simply can’t miss. Its been a while since our last official mob (they don’t have pepsi?: dec 27th) and our last related event (no pants: jan 15th), and its partly because we’re having a bit of trouble deciding what to do. We have basically decided to do something in the CBD since we’re almost guaranteed to get a decent number of onlookers. We also want to try and do more than one mob this time, since each once is so brief, in order to make it more of an event for people to come out for.
Here are some of the ideas that we’ve come up with or have been suggested to us. Please let us know which one(s) you think would work best and any other feedback, or your own ideas, by:
-leaving a comment on this post (below)
-Email us: adelflashmob@hotmail.com
Ideas:
#1: Homeless Harry: Easy one. We have a mobber dress up as a homeless man with a hat in the central city area. Homeless Harry then finds a bench, lies down on it, places his hat on the ground and then falls asleep… Then we have mobbers walk by and give him coins, and a few more form a crowd and throw money, etc. As the crowd grows, we start to cheer Harry’s actions. For example if he coughs, or scratches himself, we start to clap and cheer.
#2: Demand and Demand: We choose a store, a product, and a starting point. Group rushes the store all at once, yelling for said object and making a cuffuffle. Obviously a small, unknown, or non-existant item would work better for this. Or Big Macs from KFC even 
#3: Round of Applause: Simply put, we find something random to applaude. For example, someone sitting on a park bench. Or someone using an ATM. Or someone buying a coke. We just come out from our hiding places, applaude, take photos, etc, and then leave again.
#4: The Picket Line tracey fragments the dvd : We form a picket line, objecting something absurd. Construction of basic banners, signs, flyers and chants would be in order, but imagine a group of people claiming “The Sun’s Not Fun” and demanding the Government get rid of it.
#5: Bed Time: Everybody sets their mobile phone alarms to a predetermined time and to loud setting. We all pretend to fall asleep in a public place; on benches, at tables, on ground, leaning against walls etc. and when the alarms go off simultaneously, we all get up suddenly and walk off.
#6: Round and Round: Choose 2 escilators in the Myer Centre, 1 going up, 1 going down, stand on them, reading news papers and keep going around on them for a while.
#7: Improv Everywhere: We could do something similar to Improv Everywhere’s missions such as: Bestbuy, slo-mo home depot, etc (check out Improv Everywhere website)
#8: Flash Worship: Hey does everybody know the spruiker guy from out front the rennaisance tower on rundle mall. He’s embarrassed half of adelaide at one time or another. What if we flash worshipped him? He’s got a sense of humour.
#9: Celebrity: How about someone who looks like a “celebrity” arriving at an opening (eg. festival theatre, or stadium) in a limo, and we have a fake paparazzi stampede? “Are you here for the concert? Is it true you broke up with Brad Pitt?” and lots of us with cameras and ID things around our necks? etc
#10: Random Item: We could pick out a random item, and turn up en masse as an anxious mob desperately trying to purchase one each as if it was some weird craze. that’d freak out the shop owners.
#11: Generous Mob: Do something nice for fellow Adelaidians… a mob of people start handing out ‘With Compliments’ cards, and giving people a compliment at the same time. “I love that shirt”, “your hair is looking great today!”
#12: Uniform: Everybody comes dressed in the same outfit such as suits. You could create some pretty cool effects that way, like the Smiths in the Matrix.
#13: Conga
: Create a massive conga line down Rundel Mall. Each mobbers joins the line from a differnt place and pretends not to know other participants. Would be interesting to see how many non mobbers we could get involved.
Remember the Fringe dates are Feb 22nd till March 16th so we need to get onto this. Let us know what you think of these ideas.
February 21st, 2008 at 2:36 am
So far, the following sound interesting; 1, 7 (freeze or slo-mo), 9*, 11. A lot depends, of course, on numbers attending
*This is probly the fave, would be great to also have people rushing up asking (or screaming) for autographs etc. (as well as the papparazzi etc.) Then 1 person yells out “its not them/him/her” and then everyone quickly and silently disperses again.
February 21st, 2008 at 3:39 am
#13.
Strangely enough I was standing in the Garden of Unearthly delights thinking that a Conga line would be pretty cool.
If you did it at the right time (say a weekend evening) at the Garden then I’m sure you could get people involved. They’ve already got a “silent disco” so a conga line would fit right in!
February 21st, 2008 at 8:57 am
I agree that we should do a few different mobs.
A conga line that starts in the Garden of Unearthly Delights and then makes its way down Rundle would be good – we could choose a point at which to suddenly lose interest and disperse, confusing those people who decide to join in
#2 and #3 also lend themselves to being on the same day as no props are involved and we can just follow the lead of one person using peripheral vision.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:41 am
First preference would be flash worship of the spruiker, then the conga, that would be a good laugh!
February 21st, 2008 at 9:48 am
I saw this on Sunrise a few days ago. In NY a group held an event at the central railway station. 207 people were spread through the main floor of the station, each going about their business as if they were regular commuters. At an appointed time, whatever they were doing, they all froze. Someone was bent over tying a shoe lace, someone had just lost some papers. The other commuters didn’t know what to make of it. Then after 5 or 10 minuntes they unfroze and just went on their way. It received thunderous applause from the onlookers. The beauty of an event like this is that it doesn’t interfere with anyone else’s use or enjoyment of whatever location is being used. It doesn’t create a noise disturbance. It’s quirky and draws attention to itself without looking like it’s some kind of stunt.
February 21st, 2008 at 9:57 am
# 13 & # 4 are the best for sure!! i wouls be in it for that – given that the frigne is on – what abotu a conga down rundle street and in the Garden of unearthy delights??
Can we please make it on a sunday this time so i can go??? i work Saturdays and would love to be involved still.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:16 am
I like the round of applause idea. Its simple, confusing and effective. The conga is also a good idea. We could do both!
February 21st, 2008 at 11:20 am
I like #13: Conga. We could get some awesome participation from random bystanders.
February 21st, 2008 at 12:18 pm
how about lots of people go to kfc, order the popcorn chicken, throw it in the air and scream, “be free”
February 21st, 2008 at 3:59 pm
I like number 3 and 10.. but especially like 11 and 13.. The conga sounds hilarious, and the generous mobbers will really give the recipients a good feeling.. I really like these 2..
Good luck making a decision
BTW.. I heard that adelaide flash mob was mentioned on the Today show in the US.. looks like you are doing well penguin man and pals
February 21st, 2008 at 4:01 pm
Love Eugene’s comment on what they did overseas.. all freeze at one moment for like 5 minutes or so.. classic, and would get a great response, especially with the Fringe commuters around
February 21st, 2008 at 5:10 pm
I like Colwin’s idea, simple yet effective.
Feel a bit sorry for the people that have to clean it up though.
Should try that in town then start a congo to “free the chickens”
February 21st, 2008 at 5:30 pm
Yes, the freezing idea is a favourite of mine. The group who did it are called Improv Everywhere (I mentioed them at number 7). They originally did it in a home depot store: http://improveverywhere.com/2006/08/19/slo-mo-home-depot/ then they did it again more recently at Grand Central Station: http://improveverywhere.com/2008/01/31/frozen-grand-central/
Similar freeze events have also been organised in London and Toronto, the London one got around 1000 people: http://improveverywhere.com/2008/02/17/ie-global-freeze-events-in-london-and-toronto/
If you are interested in Improv Everywhere I suggest you check out the website and read up on all their missions and watch the videos on youtube. You should also check out their ‘Global Agents’ program on the Adelaide group on there: http://improveverywhere.ning.com/group/improvinadelaide
Keep the feedback coming
February 21st, 2008 at 7:02 pm
A recent one that I was involved in for Uni.:
We had about 120 people running around the city and whenever we would cross over an intersection someone would yell out ‘DEAD ANTS!!’ and everyone would lay one their back waving their arms and legs in the air and stay there until the lights went red again, then left.
Causes much confusion and annoyance to road users!!
SOOO FUNNY
We also did the giant conga through various places chanting somthing relevant. (HJs – No Pickles, Starbucks – Decaf, etc)
Needs high levels of participation though to make it work.. ?
February 21st, 2008 at 9:03 pm
#1, 2 & 3 all sound great, especially #3, if we could get a good turn out, they all could work well.
February 21st, 2008 at 11:23 pm
Haha Ocamp.
I looooove that ‘be free’ one!
Improv did this really funny one, a bit like #6, but where they all went on this big loop of repeating a sequence of actions. Would require less people so maybe for after the fringe..
February 22nd, 2008 at 9:44 am
hmm, I’m think something impromptu should be done tonight, who’s going to the fringe opening?
Perfect conga opportunity…
February 24th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
Conga line and worship are the best!!!!
When is it happening?
February 24th, 2008 at 11:11 pm
Worship, then conga
February 29th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
HA HA HA!!! They are good! Conga lines are soooooooo much fun!
March 12th, 2008 at 5:57 pm
number 5 sounds awesome to me
June 20th, 2008 at 5:34 pm
I watched this thing on youtube where there was a fake gun fight, like people used their fingers as guns and shot eachother,
U no the harris scarke guy in rundle mall, it’d be really funny if we copied what he said, like in a big crew “50% off towels” then everyone says “did you hear that, 50% off towels” or we sho0uld do sumthing like that to the guy
June 20th, 2008 at 5:39 pm
just another one to add to my other suggestions, the whopper add (the hands signal) we should get heaps of people to stand at hungry jacks inbetween rundle st and rundle mall and just stand there doing the whopper sign
September 8th, 2008 at 12:16 am
I think a good idea would be mass-ghosting.
A pre-determined leader is watched carefully by the mob, as soon as he/she comes within a meter of the target, the mob assemble into a single-file line behind the leader. When the target clues on to the fact they are being followed, the mob should disperse very quickly and randomly, until a new target is located.
October 21st, 2008 at 7:43 pm
How about we get a heap of people together in the city, and all strip down to boxers, briefs or g’ strings maybe even in a department store, near the clothing/fitting rooms. maybe we could all walk around looking for more appropriate sizes of clothing.
just an idea.
December 6th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Some of my friends came up with an amusing idea. Due to the large number of ‘climbable’ trees around Hindmarsh square, they were thinking that we could have a large number of mobbers all jump down from the various trees all at once (would require some sort of timing organisation) and then continue on like nothing happened.
January 21st, 2009 at 11:20 am
I like number six… that would be a good one that wouldn’t require much organisation, and people wouldn’t be too embarrassed doing it.
January 30th, 2009 at 8:21 pm
i LIKE 6 AND 5….
February 9th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
a conga is an awsum idea!!!