As this week’s @OldSpice advertising juggernaut unfolded, we were captivated by the sheer creativity, but also because we knew we were watching our industry change. Advance.

Unique, memorable spokesperson: check
Witty, quoteworthy, parody-worthy script: check
Target market that can be swayed by unique spokesperson with quoteworthy lines: check

The formula worked for the SuperBowl. The second commercial (Swan Dive!) came out a few weeks ago and re-invigorated the chatter. But none of us could guess what the team had planned next. Plenty of celebrities have used Twitter to engage with fans and push their own brand, but is this the first time our industry has created a Twitter celebrity?

If eyeballs, followers, fans, subscribers, ReTweets are measures of success, there is no doubt how this project turned out for Old Spice. And for the hundreds of thousands of young men out there just starting to care about hygiene, we have no doubt they’re considering the same brand their father probably used (uses?). But are older users switching?

We hope so.

When great, inspiring creative captivates the jaded, skeptical advertiser inside us, we have to wish for the product’s success. Product sales make clients happy. Happy clients are more likely to entertain the creative idea every agency person wishes they could pitch. What it comes down to is trust. To pull off the Old Spice YouTube project was no small feat in effort, but before a team even started building the bathroom set, there was a level of trust. P&G had to implicitly trust W+K (their traditional, not social media agency, it’s worthy to note) knew enough about the brand and the audience to make this a success.

We think they did. Congrats to everyone involved. We may just have to go out and pick up some Old Spice body wash. And we’re a woman.