When we talked with Rocketboom’s Andrew Baron recently, he cited the idea of creating a spectacle as one of the ways to create great viral video.

“Videos of spectacle translate on the net,” notes Baron, “An idea that is very original and unique, while extreme, can be videotaped and put up on YouTube to get a lot of hits pretty easily.”

As an example, Baron mentioned Improv Anywhere, a NYC flash mob improv troupe that has staged over 70 missions, “creating scenes of chaos and joy in public places.”

“We‚Äôre out to prove that a prank doesn‚Äôt have to involve humiliation or embarrassment,” says Improv Anywhere creator Charlie Todd, “it can simply be about making someone laugh, smile, or stop to notice the world around them.”

Improv Anywhere documents their events, and the videos routinely get tens of thousand, hundreds of thousands and even millions of views at YouTube.

Here’s one of their recent spectacles , 101 Shirtless Men At Abercrombie & Fitch: