Trend
I Love the Smiths Trend: What It Is and How to Make It
By the TrendMe team · Updated
The I Love the Smiths trend recreates the elevator scene from the 2009 film (500) Days of Summer. You wear big headphones in an office elevator, the person beside you leans in and says "I love the Smiths", you ask "Sorry?", and the moment ends on a long, shy look. AI versions made from one photo spread in November 2026.
The I Love the Smiths trend turns a short movie moment into a meet-cute you can star in: an elevator, oversized headphones and a line that makes you take them off.
What happens in an I Love the Smiths video?
- You stand in a small office elevator, wearing big over-ear headphones, music a little too loud.
- The person next to you leans in and says "I love the Smiths."
- You slide the headphones down and ask "Sorry?"
- They say it again, and the clip holds on a long, slightly awkward look and a small smile.
It is quiet and slow on purpose. The joke, or the romance, is all in the pause.
Where does the I Love the Smiths trend come from?
The line and the setup come from the elevator scene in (500) Days of Summer, a 2009 romantic comedy, where one character hears music through a coworker's headphones and starts a conversation. Couples have recreated the scene on TikTok for years. In early November 2026, one-photo AI templates of it appeared on template sites, which let anyone put themselves into the elevator without filming.
Why is the I Love the Smiths trend spreading again?
- It is instantly familiar. Film fans know the scene, and everyone else knows the feeling of a stranger hearing your music.
- It tells a story in one shot. No cuts, no dance, just a line and a look.
- It is easy to make personal. Couples caption it "how we met", friends play it as a joke, and solo posters use it for main-character energy.
How do you make an I Love the Smiths video on TrendMe?
Open the I Love the Smiths trend, upload one clear photo from the chest up, and choose a direction:
- Early this week: the classic beat played straight, ending on a hopeful smile.
- Headphone drop: a close first frame of the headphones sliding off in surprise, then the wider elevator shot.
- Shared smile: use a photo of the two of you, and you both play the strangers, ending on the same grin.
You get a vertical video with AI sound in a few minutes. For more scene-style ideas, see our guide to putting yourself in a TikTok trend.
Tips for posting your I Love the Smiths video
- Pick the 15 second length if you want the pause after the line to breathe.
- Write the story in the caption: "how we actually met" or "POV: a stranger likes your music" both work.
- Add the scene's music in TikTok when you post if you want the full movie feel.
- Use the trend's tags so people searching for it find yours: #ilovethesmiths #500daysofsummer #coupletrend #aivideo
- Label it as AI when you post. Our note on labeling AI videos on TikTok and Instagram explains how.
Sources for the I Love the Smiths trend
I Love the Smiths: CapCut template or TrendMe?
| CapCut template | TrendMe | |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | Your own video clips | One photo |
| Filming and editing | You film and fit clips to the template | None: the AI creates the whole scene |
| Pets, stunts, impossible scenes | Only if you can film them | Yes, from a single photo |
| Result | Depends on your footage | 9:16 MP4 with sound, no watermark |
Frequently asked questions
- Why is the I Love the Smiths scene so popular?
- It captures a tiny, relatable moment, a stranger noticing your music, and stretches it into a pause that feels like the start of a love story. That pause is what makes viewers watch to the end.
- Who says the line in the I Love the Smiths trend?
- In the film, the person without headphones says it after hearing the music. In most remakes the one wearing headphones is the main character, and the line comes from the stranger next to them.
- Can I make an I Love the Smiths video without filming in an elevator?
- Yes. On TrendMe the elevator, the headphones and the second person are generated from your photo, so you only need one clear picture.
- Is the I Love the Smiths trend only for couples?
- No. Couples use it to tell how they met, but solo versions and friends playing the awkward stranger are just as common.