LibraryNowOriginsOddsMechanicsMCP

Kinds

Campaign380Product91Food & drink27App & software56Film24Series24Music60Game115Book22Creator moment54Meme & format109Trend & aesthetic38Activity58Moment89
PricingPrivacyTermsRefundsPress
Library/Creator moment/Chewbacca Mom
Grade B33 sourcesHIS-00089

Chewbacca Mom

Creator moment · 2016 · Viral

63Editable slideCertificate

A Facebook Live video of a mother laughing in a toy mask passed 164 million views.

Clip · schmoyoho on YouTube
Clip · The Late Late Show with James Corden on YouTube
Clip · REACT on YouTube
Facebook’s year-end screenshot of Candace Payne laughing in her Chewbacca mask.
Facebook / Candace Payne
Chewbacca Mom
Wikipedia (non-free, fair use)
Meet Your New Wookiee Queen Of Viral Video: 'Chewbacca Mom'
NPR (syndicated by CapRadio)
Celebrity Sightings in New York City - May 23, 2016
TIME
Video 'Chewbacca Mom' Candace Payne, Live on 'GMA'
ABC News / Good Morning America
Happy Chewbacca Mask - Songify This!
schmoyoho on YouTube
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Zuckerberg / Facebook
Chewbacca Mom scholarship
TIME
'Chewbacca Mom' Candace Payne Offered Full College Tuition for Family
ABC News
Candace Payne
TIME
Facebook's 2016 Year In Review
Facebook Newsroom
facebook-live-chewbacca-mom
Variety
How Life Has Changed for 'Chewbacca Mom' Candace Payne Since She Went Viral
ABC News
Chewbacca Mom Takes James Corden to Work
The Late Late Show with James Corden on YouTube
CELEBS REACT TO CHEWBACCA MOM
REACT on YouTube
Internet sensation ‘Chewbacca mom’ meets the real-life Chewbacca | Watch News Videos Online
Global News (Canada)
How Kohl's is tapping into 'Chewbacca Mom's' viral Facebook video
Digiday
A Year of “Chewbacca Mom” News Alerts
The Ringer
You Won’t Believe How Much Chewbacca Mum Has Made
marie claire Australia
WATCH: This is the Most-Watched Facebook Live Video in History… and It’s Adorable!
When In Manila (Philippines)

Spread Score

How it works
Reach73Contagion45Breadth90Velocity60Longevity3263

Numbers

Seed + top 10 derivatives: seed-only lower bound
164M
As of Dec 20, 2016 · Facebook · ABC News
Peak date
Week of May 22, 2016
May 19 ’16 to Week of May 22, 2016
Platforms
8
Started on Facebook
Origin
Organic
Toys & collectibles

Mechanics

  • Unscripted proofPrimary
  • Platform jump
  • Press loop
  • Response chain
  • Visible in use
  • Resale market

How it spread

Trace the origin

Payne’s Facebook Live mask demonstration passed 164 million views by year-end. Radio, television and YouTube remixes followed. Masks sold out at several retailers, while Kohl’s delivered gifts and Hasbro made a figure with her face.

Dates use the stated precision; chart positions are date anchors.

Wikipedia views · Google searchesApr ’16JunJulAugOctDecApr ’17JulOctFeb ’18JunPeakFacebookPressAudioRedditOpen webTVYouTubeRetail
FacebookPressAudioRedditOpen webTVYouTubeRetail

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

Timeline (16)

  1. May 2016

    Candace Payne seed · May 19 ’16

    Candace Payne posted a Facebook Live video of herself laughing in a Chewbacca mask.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. TIME / BBC News press · May 20 ’16

    TIME and BBC News covered Payne’s mask video as it passed 48 million Facebook views.[4][3]

  3. NPR / Rachel Martin platform jump · May 20 ’16

    NPR’s Rachel Martin interviewed Payne by phone after watching her video.[5]

    Meet Your New Wookiee Queen Of Viral Video: 'Chewbacca Mom'
Changelogupdated Oct 13 ’26
  1. 2026-10-13Cleared the depth bar · Fact-check passed (37 claims)
  2. 2026-10-12Added: 16 events, 33 sources · Score 63
Origin
Organic
Sector
Toys & collectibles
Region
US
Seed + top 10 derivatives: seed-only lower bound
164M
As of Dec 20, 2016 · Facebook · ABC News
Evidence
Grade B

Spread the same way

Emily Zugay’s logo redesigns

TikTok · 2021

47
Putting my degree to use

27M impressions

Starfield Potato Physics

Reddit · 2023

42
Starfield vs Skyrim vs Oblivion - 10.000 Objects Physics Comparison and Skyrim lost

Hailey Bieber's 'Brownie Glazed Lips' TikTok

TikTok · 2022

37
ready for all the fall things including brownie glazed lips 🥹✨✨✨🤎🤎🤎

Aysha Harun's Glow Recipe Hue Drops Leak

TikTok · 2024

32
OH MY GOD @Glow Recipe HUE DROPS?!? IT’S SO PRETTY!!! #glowrecipehuedrops #huedrops #glowrecipe #glowrecipedewdrops #newmakeup #makeupreview

3.3M views

New cases, every week

How the next thing spread, the week it does.

See every timeline

Free account, every case's full spread.

Join free
Log inJoin free
Wikipedia views · Google searchesApr ’16JunJulAugOctDecApr ’17JulOctFeb ’18JunPeakFacebookPressAudioRedditOpen webTVYouTubeRetail
FacebookPressAudioRedditOpen webTVYouTubeRetail

13 more events on this chart

Join free to see them

  1. May 2016

    Candace Payne seed · May 19 ’16

    Candace Payne posted a Facebook Live video of herself laughing in a Chewbacca mask.[1][2][3]

    Open the first post ↗

  2. TIME / BBC News press · May 20 ’16

    TIME and BBC News covered Payne’s mask video as it passed 48 million Facebook views.[4][3]

  3. NPR / Rachel Martin platform jump · May 20 ’16

    NPR’s Rachel Martin interviewed Payne by phone after watching her video.[5]

    Meet Your New Wookiee Queen Of Viral Video: 'Chewbacca Mom'

  1. platform jump · May 20 ’16

  2. owner response · May 21 ’16

Join free to see the other 13 events and the full chart. Free, on every case.

Join free

Why it worked

Do this

  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3

Pro opens the playbook, all 16 sourced numbers and 33 sources. Start with a free account.

Join freeGo Pro