And yet, and yet... while many marketers have fallen in love with this train set, how many are making it pay?
It’s like watching small children at a party who’ve had far too much cake – rushing around in a sugar-rush frenzy, but not to any purpose.
Industry mates tell me of meetings where advertisers have put social media at the top of their agenda with no real understanding of whether it’s even appropriate for their brand or audience.
So it’s heartening to see a top Unilever brand treating the social media game with some consideration.
Lynx has always understood the value of entertainment and humour. Their TV and cinema commercials have frequently dominated the break thanks to their wit and memorability.
My personal favourite remains the adventures of the man made out of chocolate but the whole back-catalogue of Lynx ads is an object lesson in effective advertising.
How would Unilever’s approach for Lynx translate to a very different sphere? Have a look by searching YouTube for "Lynx Rise".
There’s a whole series of little films featuring a dopey, 20-something hero who’s a walking faux pas, and his long-suffering girlfriend, played by the curvaceous Jessica Jane Clement from 'The Real Hustle'.
In one of the mini-ads, invited by the bikini-clad girls to a pool party, the hero turns up dressed like Jimmy White, snooker cue in hand.
To support the launch of Lynx Rise morning shower gel, the agency produced 16 20-second vids – the point being to exploit your average young bloke’s habit of collecting and sharing funny stuff.
YouTube and Facebook aside, the campaign spread itself over video banners, Spotify and in-game advertising, all supported by PR.
Results were impressive. According to the agency, the campaign had about 250,000 Facebook views, creating over 25,000 new fans, and got top spot on YouTube.
It doesn’t take a marketing genius to see that Lynx, guys and social media add up. But a sensible strategy doesn’t necessarily lead to good work. It did here. Certainly if response to the campaign was matched by an uplift in sales.
Simon S Kershaw is a creative consultant and a former creative director at Craik Jones.