Synopsis

Jack and Meg White perform "The Hardest Button to Button" while moving through New York City, subway platforms, parks, tunnels, and streets. With each beat, another drum kit, amplifier, or microphone stand appears beside them, creating the illusion that their equipment is multiplying as they play. The pair remain at the center of the frame while the expanding lines of instruments travel through the city. The deliberately repetitive action turns the song's driving rhythm into a playful piece of physical visual choreography.

Factoids & Trivia

• The multiplying instruments were created largely through practical, beat-by-beat filming and editing rather than digital duplication. The equipment was repositioned or removed between takes to make it appear, disappear, and move in rhythm with the song.

• Production used 32 identical Ludwig drum kits, 32 identical amplifiers, and 16 identical microphone stands. The drum kits were later donated to a music school.

• The video was filmed at several New York locations, including the Upper West Side near Grant's Tomb, Riverside Drive, the area around Columbia University, the 125th Street neighborhood, and the 33rd Street PATH station.

• Beck makes a brief appearance as the man in the white suit who presents Jack with a box.

• Jack White appears with a cast on his hand. He had broken his index finger in a car accident while the band was touring.

• The video received four nominations at the 2004 MTV Video Music Awards: Breakthrough Video, Best Direction, Best Special Effects, and Best Editing.

• The visual concept was later spoofed by "The Simpsons," with Bart Simpson attempting to imitate the equipment-multiplication routine before causing chaos for the band.

• The song was included as a playable track in the 2010 video game "Rock Band 3".