observed media [o] mark observed media

Viral video · own project · San Diego · 2025

iPhone 3GS

a viral experiment: nostalgia vs. the newest iPhone.

By the numbers

22.5M

VIEWS

2.3M

LIKES

20K+

NEW FOLLOWERS

The story

a calculated experiment, timed to the iPhone 17 drop. a "come with me" video upgrading from an iPhone 3GS to an iPhone 17: chatting with people in line, asking apple what my 3GS was worth on trade-in, unboxing in store.

i knew nostalgia would hit at a moment when everyone was excited about the newest tech. it worked even better than i expected: reposted across tiktok, x and tech channels, with a comment section full of people missing that era of phones.

what i bring to brands from it: a simple idea, told well, beats overthinking every time.