Chapter 262: Ice Bucket Challenge

Chapter 262: Chapter 262: Ice Bucket Challenge

Shelly stood under the parasol, holding a process sheet, and briefed both of them.

"Once filming wraps, the edited video will be sent to several major entertainment outlets simultaneously and uploaded to Facebook’s official page.

We’ve already coordinated with Chen Shiyu’s team. Not only will Facebook feature it on the homepage, but his forum team will also push it across the internet."

Irene nodded. "What about traditional media?"

"Everything’s arranged. After the video goes live this afternoon, online buzz will start immediately, and print media will follow.

Tomorrow morning, you and Britney will appear together on ABC’s Good Morning America to issue the challenge to the pre-selected targets." Shelly smiled. "Don’t worry. We’re monitoring every step. Nothing will go wrong."

Irene picked up a sticky note with the prepared lines, walked over to Britney, and gave her arm a reassuring pat. "Nervous? Remember to say a few things that feel like you. Don’t make it too formal. Just be natural."

"What’s there to be nervous about?" Britney raised an eyebrow and poked the bucket of ice water, then jerked her hand back from the bone-deep cold. "Ow, that’s freezing! But for charity, I’m all in."

"Have you decided who you’re going to challenge?"

Britney nodded. She had made up her mind after attending Paris Hilton’s yacht party last week.

The guest list had included not only Hollywood celebrities but also Wall Street tycoons. The sheer range of connections had impressed her. "You, Madonna, and Paris."

Irene smiled and nodded. "Ms. Ciccone and Ms. Hilton are perfect choices. One is an industry veteran with an impeccable reputation — she’ll help build goodwill. The other bridges entertainment and business. With them, the commercial reach and promotional impact of this challenge will double."

She stepped up to the bucket, glanced down at the ice water, and said calmly, "Jack, let’s get started."

Jack gave an OK gesture and hit record.

Irene had done extensive prep for today’s rollout, and Britney had rehearsed several times.

Facing the camera, Britney began by explaining the rules of the event.

The activity was called the "Ice Bucket Challenge."

Participants would post a video of themselves getting doused with ice water, then nominate three or more people to continue the relay.

The rules were simple: nominees had 48 hours to either accept the challenge or donate $100 to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, ALS.

The goal was to raise awareness of the rare disease and generate donations to support patient treatment.

Britney took a deep breath, stepped up to the bucket, hoisted it, and poured the ice water over herself, completing the challenge.

Then she turned to the camera, smiling, and nominated Irene, Madonna Ciccone, and Paris Hilton to take up the relay.

Jack held the shot steady, capturing every detail — from the moment the water hit to Britney wiping the droplets from her face. Every frame was precise.

As soon as the camera cut, Bella rushed forward with a towel. Even Irene, standing nearby, couldn’t help shivering.

The two of them went behind the camera to review the footage.

"The take is great," Shelly said.

Irene gave a thumbs-up. "Thanks, Jack."

Jack powered down the camera, removed the memory card, and handed it to Shelly. "My part’s done. I’ve got other commitments, so I’ll head out."

There was still a long list of tasks ahead, so Irene didn’t hold him up. "Got it. Let’s catch up when you’re free."

Afterward, Irene told Britney to take a hot shower so she wouldn’t catch a cold, then took Shelly back to the study to upload the video.

By the time Britney returned in dry clothes, Shelly had already logged into Britney’s Facebook account and the ALS Charity Foundation account. She uploaded the Ice Bucket Challenge video, posted the rules underneath, and tagged Irene, Madonna Ciccone, and Paris Hilton.

Chen Shiyu’s team had been on standby. The moment the video went live, they pushed it across the internet, aiming to reach as many people as possible in the shortest time.

This team had been working quietly online ever since Irene brought Chen Shiyu on board.

They had promoted plenty of news for Irene and Britney over the months, but had never launched a major operation. This was the moment they had been trained for. Everyone brought their A-game, and promoting the Ice Bucket Challenge was second nature.

At the same time, Shelly’s PR team went to work. Most of the guests from Irene’s housewarming party were film and television professionals with strong ties to her.

Even those who weren’t particularly close were savvy enough to know that registering an account and sharing a post was a simple favor.

Britney’s Ice Bucket Challenge, combined with her previous hospital visits to the ALS community and her ongoing charity work, created a powerful synergy.

The air conditioner hummed in the study as Irene and Shelly stared at the computer screen. The metrics under Britney’s Facebook post were climbing at a visible rate.

Just one hour after posting, views had surpassed 100,000. Shares were already approaching 30,000, and the comment section was flooding with messages. The blue notification light barely stopped blinking.

"Chen Shiyu’s team is solid," Shelly said, refreshing the page, excitement creeping into her voice.

"Every major forum has discussion threads. The pinned post on Yahoo Forums has nearly 500,000 clicks, and users are spontaneously forwarding it to AOL email groups. It’s spreading even faster than we projected."

Irene’s eyes dropped to the registration data in the Facebook backend, and she couldn’t help smiling. "How’s the registration growth?"

"Explosive," Shelly said, pulling up the report. The curve on the screen was nearly vertical.

"Before the video launched, we had a few thousand new sign-ups today. Now we’re over 50,000 and still climbing.

Most new users follow Britney and the foundation accounts right after registering, then share the challenge video. The server’s almost maxed out. Chen Shiyu’s team is already adding bandwidth."

As they spoke, Britney walked in holding a mug of hot coffee. She had changed into a soft shirt, her hair still fluffy from being blow-dried. "So? How’s it going?"

"Better than expected," Irene said with a smile. "It’s not just the entertainment industry. People in sports and business are talking about it too. Look at this comment — it’s from a New York Knicks player. He says he’s ready to accept the challenge and he’s already tagged his teammates."

Britney leaned closer to the screen, her eyes lighting up. "Really? That’s amazing! This means more and more people will start paying attention to ALS."