The Ice Bucket Challenge Sparks A Global Franchise

First It Was Ice, Now It's Rice... And Rubble Too!

It seems like the #IceBucketChallenge is everywhere you look these days and every social media site you log on to with every other conversation you overhear being about who they had nominated next for a good old soaking- in the name of charity of course.

The Ice Bucket Challenge- which has seen many a pleb and celeb taking an icy dip, filming and posting the results (some of which rather funny as their friends accidently soak themselves instead of the person they intended to soak- another excuse to laugh at someone else's expense)- has gone viral, trended worldwide and has so far raised over £37.5 million pounds for motor neurone disease.

After seeing the huge success of the Ice Bucket Challenge (a PR's dream!) so far, it is perhaps unsurprising then that other challenges have spawned from it with similar, if not the same, aim: to raise awareness. 

The first of these challenge spin off's is one all the way from India that has been dubbed the #RiceBucketChallenge. The #RiceBucketChallnge was the brainchild of hyderabad journalist Manju Latha Kalanidhi who's aim was to take the challenge away from Facebook, save some water and feed the hungry. The challenge has already gathered quite an audience with over 47,000 likes on it's Facebook page and a strong Twitter following too.

As the name suggests, the premise of the challenge is very similar to the ice challenge- with a couple of slight changes. The first being the most obvious: swap the ice for rice! The second change is to the challenge itself; less of a challenge, more of a 'who's got the biggest heart contest' as instead of pouring the said bucket of rice over your head you take the bucket of rice and donate it to someone more in need. After you have undertaken this 'challenge' it goes back to being similar to the challenge that preceded it: share the evidence and nominate others to do the same- simple!

So we've thrown some ice over ourselves in the name of charity and selflessly given away a bucket of rice to the needy so what's next? Well, rubble of course...

Confused? This is the second of the challenges to comes from the ice bucket challenge and it is aptly named the #RubbleBucketChallange. You may have already figured out what this challenge involves (think less ice, more rubble) but the message for this challenge is probably just as significant, if not more, than the ice bucket challenge as The Rubble Bucket Challenge was thought up by a Gazan university student whose hopes were to raise awareness of the war in Gaza. The Rubble Bucket Challenge has so far been a success with people from all around the world taking up the challenge including those from Germany and the US and the hope is for the challenge to reach some big names to further help the cause.

With the rice and rubble bucket challenges still gathering steam on the social media circuit, the Ice Bucket Challenge is still going full steam ahead in the meantime. Even those from the animated world are taking part including Homer Simpson.

So it seems like it only takes some cold ice water, a bucket, some comradery, an amusing video and a nomination to get charity's trending world-wide. The next question is: what will it be next? The answer is with social media nobody knows.

Here's Homer Simpson's ice bucket challenge if you fancy a watch!

Julie Bundy

Hi my name is Julie! Fresh out of university studying journalism, I love to have a good laugh and I believe in always keeping an open mind. In my spare time, if you don't catch me between two pages of a book, you'll most likely find me in front of the computer or the TV! I also like to make cakes if I have the time (and the ingredients!)... or as my friends like to call them, Bundy Buns. Make sure you follow me @JulieAtSMF.

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