The term "air guitar" gained popularity in the 1980s; one of the first air guitar contests held at Florida State University in 1978. More contests occurred in Sweden and the United States during the 1980s, and since 1996, the annual Air Guitar World Championships have been a part of the Oulu Music Video Festival in Oulu, Finland, and the festival currently administers the Air Guitar World Championships Network of official national championship competitions. The idea of the contest was originated a joke that was intended to be a side attraction for the music video festival but has since become a major draw in its own right.