Seriously, what’s all the hoopla about Old Spice responding to your tweets via YouTube videos?

Groundbreaking? Really? Haven’t you done that?

Oh come now. You’ve probably even responded to people via video and yet you sit here giving Old Spice all the credit. This isn’t brilliance, this is what we’ve come to expect from global brands. This is the monster every early adopter of social media created. This is what we — ahem, you — asked for. We need to get used to it.

What’s the difference? Timing and scale (aka budget).

If Old Spice hadn’t done it, some other company would have done it a month from now. The simple fact is, you didn’t do it first, and I didn’t do it first; and even if you or I had the idea to do it first, neither of us could have pulled it off and grabbed as much media attention because Barney’s Plumbing Service wouldn’t have had the resources or the volume to do so.

The original positioning, strategy, and commercial were much smarter than the fact that they responded to your tweets via video. Actually, I’d go as far as to label the strategy, positioning, and original commercial brilliant.

But why are you making such a big deal about it?

Because Old Spice responded to you. Personally. Individually. And with a wonderful sense of humor that only gobs of money can buy — which, case in point, is a good reminder that social media that goes huge in a short amount of time is far from free, far from cheap.

That Old Spice guy had millions invested in him before he reached your laptop, desktop, or mobile device.

Think about the commercial that created the Old Spice guy — the commercial that actually made him a likable character we wanted to watch again and again (yes, I love that guy, and I want to smell like that guy). Above all, let’s not forget the account planning department that worked on the the positioning that was handed off to a flock of creative folk chomping at the bit to be the ones who created the next Old Spice campaign.

Killer creative? Hell yeah.

Brilliant social media? Nope — smart and first would be more accurate.

What do you think? And while you’re at it, what do you smell like?

I’m on a horse.