How do you celebrate your birthday when your country is in lockdown, and the only people you're allowed to see in a group setting are those you live with?

Take it to a video call, of course.

At least that was our thinking when we decided to throw a surprise birthday Zoom party for our housemate and friend Artem, and advertise it very publicly on a giant billboard.

We were prepared for the worst – and we were dreading some form of graphic disruption – but instead we unwittingly created the nearest thing to a fun social gathering most of us have had in two months.

Happy Birthday, mate!Credit: Artem bjork

Some of us made new friends for the first since the pandemic started and Artem, whose thirty-second birthday we were celebrating, is now low-key famous in London's Camden Town.

So famous the local police even know his name.

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At a time when everything seems to be going wrong, "Project Billboard" was an exceptionally memorable success because everything seemed to come together perfectly. First, the team at Jack, the creative agency that owns the billboard space, were kind enough to print and put up the billboard free of charge. Then, a big group of us got together and came up with the copy and design. Next came the moment of truth as we stepped out of our house and showed Artem, a creative at an ad agency in London, our masterpiece.

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Everything clicked – a perfectly packaged ad for a bonafide ad man, who really didn't want to be alone on his birthday.

Totally worth it.

Our housemate George was the project manager, who convinced Jack to let us put up the billboard; I was in charge of the design with some oversight from a professional illustrator; Artem's friend Holly came up with the copy ("Artem from across the road" is a magnificent line) and we got literally hundreds of photos from people to help fill in the background.

He was like a moth to a flame.

Having something to look forward to, something you can share with others, was both exhilarating and a little nerve wracking. Would we get Zoombombed? What if no one showed up? What if our WiFi misbehaved?

It was refreshing to have the same sort of banal worries we had back when we could still go places. And organising fun birthday parties was something that Artem excelled at and enjoyed – karaoke; paintballing; that one big trip to Amsterdam – so we knew this one would be right up his street.

SEE ALSO:Can't escape home? Try this virtual escape room instead.

And yet, despite the drastically different circumstances this year, the Zoom party returned us to a sense of residual normality. It showed us that things are slowly returning to how they once were, with one of Artem's friends calling in from her lab in Germany as she finished up for the day, while another friend dialled in from a pub in Sweden. We had friends of friends join, expanding our imaginary community faster than an invitation to link up on LinkedIn. There were even a few brave souls that defied all expectations and joined, albeit briefly, either after seeing the billboard, the TikToks, or the tweets. None stayed long enough to get comfortable, but then again, none joined to make us feel uncomfortable, either.

As night approached, party lights were initiated as the roster of friends became more dynamic – some called it a night early, while others were just getting started. There were some helium balloons involved and, subsequently, the sort of contagious laughter you only get when there are enough people around.

Party lights competition.Credit: ARTEM BJORK

The billboard made this more than just a birthday Zoom call. It gave the occasion the sense of flair and purpose that you need to get a good party going – it made all those who participated excited about the near future, thrilled to have Friday plans again. More than 50 people from all over showed up at some point during the night. Stories were told, toasts were raised. Occasionally, like a passel of possums, we'd fall silent at the sight of a new account joining, awaiting confirmation that they came in peace.

And, just like any self-respecting birthday party, we had a very, very late arrival who joined us after midnight with the excuse that there was another Zoom party he needed to attend. But he was there for Artem and so were all of us. And while the billboard will only be out on our street for a few more days, I'm certain this was one birthday to remember.

Fame!Credit: ARTEM BJORK