Yesterday I spent way too much time excitedly clicking a link on TweetDeck each time @OldSpice would post a new video response.

It was more than a great idea.  Other companies answer questions and respond to people on Twitter.  So, what made this different?  Not just comedy.  What made it great was the real-time execution.  The foundation of a character people already loved. And most importantly, the element of “surprise and delight.”

Jim Hartrich, my EVP back when I worked in advertising at Mullen, used to say that the best thing we could do was “surprise and delight” the client.  It’s stuck in my head ever since as a goal not just in advertising, but overall in life (as anyone who has attended a Cherry Street party or Beer Olympics could attest). 

And I think it was this element of surprise and delight that really took this extension of the Old Spice campaign to the next level.  But this time it wasn’t about the client.  It was about the customer.  Which is ultimately the point of social media.

You could see it in people’s tweets.  The pure joy that people were feeling experiencing this event.  We hadn’t seen this before in social media, or rather, we hadn’t felt this before.

So, well done Old Spice, Wieden + Kennedy, and Isaiah Mustafa.

Two of my favorite videos from yesterday.

This post is now diamonds.