A group of construction workers in Australia has captured widespread attention after sharing a playful video of themselves dressed in “sexy Santa” outfits while performing an iconic dance from the film Mean Girls. The light-hearted clip has gained over 1.6 million views and more than 1,000 comments within just a few days, offering a refreshing glimpse into the lighter side of tradespeople’s lives.
The video was created by the team at Wade Smith Plumbing and was the brainchild of the company’s general manager, who has long been a fan of the cult classic film. Wade Smith, the director and one of the participants, explained that the idea had been in the works for nearly two years. “He loves a good old ‘Mean Girls’ movie and a knee slap,” Smith mentioned, adding that his manager often brought up the idea during the work week for a laugh. “We finally worked up the courage… Banded together and got it done.”
The team was taken aback by how quickly their video spread across social media. “We didn’t expect it to blow up like this; we thought it’d just be a bit of a laugh,” Smith said. Previously, the group had around 4,500 views on their posts, with a few reaching about 20,000. “Once it beat that mark within the first hour, we were like, wow, this is probably going to go pretty far. It was a bit of a shock.”
Creating a Viral Moment
The video was filmed in approximately ten minutes, with the team managing to complete six or seven takes before selecting the final version. Smith described the atmosphere during filming as positive, with many onlookers sharing in the laughter. “Life can be too serious, so taking the seriousness out of it every now and then and having a laugh is always good,” he stated.
Interestingly, not all members of the team were initially on board with the idea. One worker withdrew at the last moment, leading to an unexpected last-minute substitution. “I was probably the most reluctant,” Smith admitted. “I wasn’t even meant to be in it. Another bloke wigged out and tore his clothes off, so I had to sub in, funnily enough.”
As the video gained popularity, viewers engaged with the content by sharing festive and plumbing-related jokes in the comments section. “There have been some goodies,” Smith noted, mentioning humorous comments about mistletoe and requests for plumbing services. “It’s all been a very good laugh.”
Humanizing the Trade
For Smith, the positive response highlights a different side of tradies, who often face misconceptions as solely serious and business-oriented. “We’re a team of 42. We’re a fun bunch and family-oriented. We’re family-owned, have been going for eight years, and we’re big on building culture within our team,” he explained. Smith emphasized that his company prioritizes effective communication and reliability. “Tradies cop a bad rap for being unreliable, not showing up or communicating poorly, so we’ve really focused on nailing that… You’re never going to be wondering where we are or when we’re going to rock up. We take pride in our work.”
As the festive season comes to a close, the team is already feeling the pressure to create an even more engaging video next year. “We’re probably going to have to make it bigger and better next year. A lot of people wanted it to go a bit longer, so we’ll have to do an episode two for sure,” Smith concluded, indicating their eagerness to keep the joyful momentum going. For now, though, the team is back to their regular work attire and tools, ready to tackle the day-to-day challenges of their plumbing business.
