TikTokA vibe might be hard to define, but the TikTok community knows one when they see one. On TikTok, one creator’s vibe can inspire a resonant moment across pop culture, spreading from the TikTok community to the rest of the Internet and IRL world. Enter Nathan Apodaca, a long time TikTok creator using the handle @420doggface208. Combining the unlikely ingredients of skateboarding, cranberry juice, and the classic jam “Dreams” by Fleetwood Mac, Nathan’s “morning vibe” took the internet by storm, growing into a heart-warming moment and changing his life forever.
On September 25th, Nathan's car broke down on the way to work, so he hopped on his board to keep from being late. Unfazed by his predicament, the Idaho native made a fateful decision, making a now-famous TikTok to commemorate his supernatural zen. Without stopping his skateboard commute, Nathan took swigs of cran-raspberry juice straight from the bottle (Ocean Spray, if you're wondering), while singing the lyrics to “Dreams.” The video immediately grabbed the attention of the TikTok community, earning millions of views before jumping to other social platforms through multiple viral posts.
As people watched Nathan coast down the road on his skateboard, they were inspired to grab their own bottle of Ocean Spray and pay tribute to the original with a video of their own. From there, the trend Nathan started continued to rise in popularity with creators and celebrities continuing to recreate the vibey video, spreading positivity with each new rendition. With average daily uses of “Dreams” in TikTok videos up 1,380% since the trend began on September 25th and videos made by all types of creators from Jimmy Fallon to the Ocean Spray CEO, it’s clear that this trend resonated with the creator community.
Nathan's mesmerizing video eventually grew big enough to reach Fleetwood Mac themselves, who responded from their Twitter account. The moment reached even greater heights when Fleetwood Mac co-founder Mick Fleetwood joined TikTok and posted his own rendition of the popular video on October 1st, which gained a quarter of the views Nathan's original video received in just a single day. Mick's video led to a heartfelt interaction with Nathan in the comments, where the pair agreed to meet up in person once it was safe to do so.
In response to the uplifting moment and trend, Mick Fleetwood said, “It’s been such a wonderful surprise to see that TikTok has been able to bring some joy in challenging times as well as encourage creativity among so many young people. To see our fans or even people just learning about the band embrace Fleetwood Mac has been so inspirational and meaningful to us.”
Nathan’s unique vibe quickly translated into a resurgence in popularity for Fleetwood Mac, with “Dreams” receiving a 374% jump in sales and a 89% jump in streams, putting the classic hit back on Billboard's top charts. After Mick Fleetwood made his video, the song re-entered the Billboard Hot 100 #21 after a 43-year absence, and climbed to the Top Ten of Spotify’s Global and U.S. charts and hit #1 on Apple Music. It reached #1 on Billboard's Rock Digital Song Sales and #3 on Billboard's Rock Streaming Songs charts, showing the power of a trend to give classic songs new life and helping artists reach a new generation of fans.
Nathan’s viral success has had an amazing effect on his own life as well. Ocean Spray, the company behind the cran-raspberry concoction in the video, found customers had cleared their products off of store shelves. They reached out and generously provided Nathan a new truck to replace the car that had broken down moments before the now famous video was filmed. In addition to the gift from Ocean Spray, Nathan has received donations from fans which he plans to put towards a down payment on a house (he currently lives in an RV near his brother's home in Idaho Falls). Nathan has used this moment to release a new line of merchandise commemorating the event and even wound up as the face of a national TikTok TV commercial, which aired during the NBA Finals.
Nathan's story is a perfect example of how TikTok can be a catalyst for life changing moments. A TikTok can bring a smile to the faces of millions, connect artists with fans, help others through a hard time, and completely reshape the lives of creators and fans. Nathan's original video has sparked remakes and tributes from fans and shown how TikTok is starting point for trends that take over the entire internet. The way in which this trend accelerated and reached popular culture as a whole is due in large part to social platforms sharing Nathan's content, spreading what is trending within our community, to other entertainment outlets.
As Nathan continues his journey, we're excited to see how his positive vibes continue to impact his life and the TikTok community as a whole. And as always, we'll continue to watch and encourage the TikTok community to create the next life changing trend.
Meanwhile, the “Dreams” resurgence on TikTik and beyond shows no signs of slowing down. Just yesterday, iconic Fleetwood Mac singer-songwriter Stevie Nicks joined TikTok! The song’s original writer, and the woman whose voice has inspired thousands of lip syncs, Stevie’s first TikTok showed off her “afternoon vibe,” displaying her genuine appreciation for Nathan and the community, as she laced up her roller skates with a half-full jug of cranberry juice in the background.
