Based on a celebrity-studded public service announcement of the same name, "Don't Vote / 5 Friends" is a viral video produced and distributed by Penn Leads the Vote - a nonpartisan organization dedicated to increasing voter turnout.
Contrary to what its name implies, the video urges its viewers to vote in the coming election and to show the video to five friends to make sure they do the same.
The video directs students to a Web site where they can find the polling station they should vote at on Nov. 4.
While Leonardo diCaprio and Forest Whitaker were unavailable for Penn's own version of the video, PLTV came up with high-profile actors of its own.
"We drafted out a list of well-known people on campus from every class, recruited them and filmed for three days in the Fox [Leadership] building," said College senior and PLTV president Stephanie Simon.
"We didn't prepare a script, we just had people ad-lib with their own election issues that they thought were important - things that were applicable to Penn, that people here would know and identify with."
The video was posted on the PLTV Web site, circulated through the listservs of several campus organizations and posted to YouTube, where it has so far received 3,760 views.
"The traffic on our Web site increased 20-fold" as a result of the video, Simon said. "This is huge."
The Daily Pennsylvanian is an independent, student-run newspaper. Please consider making a donation to support the coverage that shapes the University. Your generosity ensures a future of strong journalism at Penn.
DonatePlease note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.