German publisher Spiegel Online spotted a great social video opportunity in the skies over Iceland, recently. The wondrous natural phenomenon of the Northern Lights lit up the night, and social channels the world over. This Wochit-made video tapped that interest. With over 3,000 shares, 26,000 reactions, 600,000 views, and 2,000 comments, this social video has grown to become one of Speigel’s most successful.

Check out this gorgeous video:

Talk about stunning visuals! The assets in this video are so captivating and beautiful, it’s no wonder viewers have responded so positively. Striking natural wonders like the Northern Lights easily grab the attention of users scrolling through their feeds. The steady stream of gorgeous still and video footage is plenty to keep viewers watching throughout.

The creators put text overlay to use in the first half of the video, to offer some information and context. But then they shift to allow the visuals take center-stage, partnered only with related social posts. Pulling commentary and imagery from Twitter and Instagram serves a few purposes here.

First, it offers different, unique assets that have been generated by users and shared on social. Second, it firmly couches this video in the context of the social conversation. By positioning it as such, viewers are primed to engage and share the clip, as they are seeing it as an extension of an ongoing social trend.

On top of all this, the creators follow the golden rules of Facebook video. They keep the run time at just under one minute and they make sure the video works completely on mute. But for viewers with the sound on, a backing track that mirrors the awe inspired by the Northern Lights is in place.

This majestic piece is an exemplary social video. Check back next week for another great clip made with Wochit!