I have read many articles about the way we get information in this day and age—in a word, immediately—and how this trend has led to shorter attention spans and a general lack of patience.

We have replaced “the check is in the mail” with the direct deposit and Pay Pal. We have replaced the handwritten letter with the email, and the email with the text message and the instant message.

One of the more brilliant television advertising campaigns that I have seen recently is the Old Spice “Smell like a Man” campaign. It is taking a product that our grandfathers and fathers may have used and not only making it current but also reigniting the brand. It does so with creative writing, quick scene changes, and a seemingly random mixture of images. In the commercial we go from inside a bathroom to a shoreline on horseback in the matter of 30 seconds.

Changes come at you quickly in this ad without flashy smash cuts or jumpy camera work. Things happen so quickly that it almost begs to be rewound on the DVR or watched again the next time it is on. As a testament to its impact, the YouTube video of the commercial has been viewed nearly 11.2 million times.

Old Spice and the agency that came up with this campaign really understand the modern consumer. The advertisement for Old Spice body wash is not directed at men, but at women who make many of the purchasing decisions for the home. The opening line “Hello ladies” hits the decision makers quickly, and the writing rockets the viewer through the whole pitch in just 30 seconds, persuading viewers that their man should “smell like a man” and not like ladies scented body washes.

A tight and convincing message in just 30 seconds and over 11 million views on YouTube (a must stop site for the younger generation with even shorter attention spans) makes this campaign ideal marketing for those with little patience and even less of an attention span.