The first #walkingbackchallenge video ever

The Walking Back Challenge

Will you take the Walking Back Challenge and help change the world?

I was in India to give a keynote and a crazy idea came to my mind while I was visiting the Agra Fort, close to the famous Taj Mahal. In the true spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship, using experimentations to discover what works and what doesn’t, I asked Tim Wade, a Global Speaker who was visiting the Agra Fort with me, to record me while I was executing this first video. As you might notice, it wasn’t perfect (first times seldom are!) but it sure was fun and I learned a lot… like how hard it is to look natural while walking backwards!

Innovators and entrepreneurs often find themselves moving against a tide of people resisting their ideas, resisting their passion. I wanted to illustrate that experience in an entertaining way, in the spirit of my experiential talks about innovation.

My friends and followers loved it so then I thought“What if there was a way to use this little experiment to change the world?”

Will you rise to the challenge?
Repeat my experiment and even improve on it! Upload your video of walking backwards against the crowd. I’ve detailed exactly how I did it below. Unleash your creativity – do it solo or invite friends, colleagues, even your pets to join you! Pick a really cool location or wherever you happen to be when inspiration hits you! Show me and the world how you walk against the crowd!

Did I mention there's a reward for the most impactful video?

  • WIN this challenge (see rules below) and I will deliver one of my signature keynotes on Innovation for a CAUSE of your choice : an NGO (Non Governemental Organization) or an NFP (Not-for-Profit) or a Charitable Organization. If your CAUSE decides to turn this event into a fundraiser, all the revenues go to the CAUSE, I will not accept a single cent. I will deliver this talk anywhere in the world your choice requests. I will even pay for my travel and accommodations provided that the winning CAUSE secures their date at least 6 months in advance.
  • The Walking Back Challenge invites additional sponsorship! If you or your organization would like to contribute cash, goods or services to be awarded to the winner or benefitting CAUSE please contact me walkingbackchallenge@philippeboulanger.com
  • The current reward value is north of $20.000

The rules

  • The video with the highest number of shares wins the challenge with a minimum 500 shares required to be eligible.
  • To be eligible, participants must publish a video on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, TikTok, or other social networks with the hashtag #walkingbackchallenge AND the hastag of the CAUSE you want to support. Example: #greenpeace or #amnestyinternational or #doctorswithoutborders or #redcross or #pflag… You get the idea!
  • To help us identify your challenge submission, share your video on one of the following: walkingbackchallenge (instagram), #walkingbackchallenge public group (FaceBook).  We recommend that you check back here from time to time in case we need to add additional means to help us identify the winning submission.
  • If you publish your video on multiple social networks, the sum of the shares will be taken into account.
  • The deadline to enter is December 31st 2020.
  • The use of “click farms” to boost your shares is strictly prohibited and will immediately disqualify your video from the challenge reward.

Tutorial - How to make such a Walking Back Challenge video

It’s actually very simple, you just need your smartphone and a helper. Here are the steps:

  1. Have another person video recording you while you walk backwards in a normal crowd. Please be careful and act responsibly.
  2. Use a simple video editor on your smartphone to reverse the video. Search for “reverse video” on the AppStore or Android Play. As a result of the reverse, you will appear walking as usual (kind of), and the crowd now appears to walk backwards.
  3. Don’t hesitate to repeat the process in more creative or funny ways! Remember, the object of this challenge is to get more shares so make it share-worthy!
  4. Publish your reversed video on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, TikTok, or other social networks with the hashtag #walkingbackchallenge AND the hastag of the CAUSE you want to support.
  5. To help us identify your challenge submissions, share your video on one of the following: walkingbackchallenge (instagram), #walkingbackchallenge public group (FaceBook). 
  6. Don’t forget to ask your friends, family, colleagues and followers to help you support your CAUSE by sharing your video as many times and in as many places as possible! Be sure to ask your CAUSE to share as well through its members and supporters…

So… What are you waiting for? Ready… Set… Walk and share!