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Tyee News
Election 2015
Media

A Taste of Saturday's Meme-Making Bootcamp

Viral master Heather Libby breaks down the election's most buzzworthy moments.

Sarah Berman 22 Oct 2015TheTyee.ca

Sarah Berman is managing editor of The Tyee.
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Libby breaks down how to create buzz-worthy memes this Saturday, Oct. 24.

Heather Libby knows the recipe for a viral success is never the same twice.

Even the right mix of clickable, timely and absurd can be quickly lost to the internet abyss.

Luckily this election provided endless opportunity for changemakers to mock, remix and meme-ify -- from Stephen Harper's stilted Netflix tax proclamation to the notorious tipline that seemed to seal his fate. And let's not forget Conservative supporter Earl Cowan's outburst, which fuelled plenty more ridicule.

On Saturday, Libby will host a Tyee Master Class on how to make powerful digital shareables. The five-hour session takes place in The Tyee's beautiful new downtown classroom, and the $200 registration fee includes coffee, lunch and a splash of B.C. beer.

Ahead of her weekend bootcamp, she breaks down the campaign's most buzzworthy memes.

1. Wyatt Scott's unlikely candidacy.


Heather Libby: "I think the reason people liked it so much is because all the ads up until that point had been annoyingly scripted and ridiculous. It was refreshing to see someone riding a goose and laser-blasting a Conservative robot. For the first time an ad felt human.

"His biggest victory was that media were so desperate for something human to happen in the campaign at that moment they jumped on it like hungry bears.

"The trouble is, viral is very hard to replicate. He made another video and it didn't get the same kind of coverage. Poor Wyatt Scott peaked too early. If he released that video mid to late September he might have parlayed the meme into some actual political success."

2. Dan Murphy's case for voting Harper.

"[Political cartoonist] Daniel Murphy is brilliant, we've worked with him a few times on Deep Rogue Ram projects. He’s incisively smart, so quick off that bat.

"That's why this meme was so successful. It was delivered within 24 hours of the Cowan clip going viral, and it used the Conservative branding.

"It's a reminder that this guy feels he's speaking on behalf of all Conservatives. It was one of those cathartic things to share."

3. Trudeau's Blue Jay bat flip.

"One of the great things about moments like this is people immediately want a piece of the action. There were already many versions out there, all from people wanting to show the world they're as cool as [Jose] Bautista is. He's a badass.

"In one way voters are tossing out Harper, which does make for a lovely share. For Trudeau, it's 'Yeah, I did the darn thing.' All of it makes us feel hopeful for both the Jays and this new majority government.

"But holy crap, yes, we are in time warp. An impressive Liberal majority, the Blue Jays are winning, crop tops are back and No Doubt is putting out another album."

Join Heather Libby for Memecamp! How to Create Content that Inspires Change this Saturday, October 24. There are a few spots left in this class, register now. [Tyee]

Read more: Election 2015, Media

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