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Scheduling Cog to be first shown during the Brazilian Grand Prix was a good idea at the time and, as hindsight now shows us, a touch of genius.

The race itself was the most engaging and dramatic for years, with accidents, spins and overtaking galore. Many view this race as the beginning of the comeback for Formula 1. And while the race was talked about for several days afterward, not least because the winner found out he won six days after the finish, Cog's debut will be remembered for a lot longer.

The fact that many consumers have picked up on the campaign's name says a lot - it's a piece of work that has a personality and has commanded press coverage the like of which we haven't seen for motor ads in ages.

It is the first advert that has been consistently talked about in the two weeks since its first showing. Normally, ads that get talked about that much are the ones that make you laugh. Cog doesn't make you laugh, it makes you ask questions. Of course, the big debate is whether it's real or if it's animated.

Ultimately, it really doesn't matter. If it's real, it's incredible, if it's animated, it's equally amazing.

Cog is also twice as long as a normal car ad. Ordinarily, this would be excruciating, but because it's not a tactical 0% finance ad, nor a dream road, blue sky, no traffic ad, it almost seems too short. It is truly refreshing to see an ad that shows the product only, rather than the type of people that should buy it.

By the time the music kicks in, I'm well and truly hooked and I've already decided that I will like whatever is at the end. And, despite the fact that the last car I would actually choose to buy would be a grown-up estate car with a weekend-sized boot, the Honda Accord looks desirable with up-to-the-minute styling and, presumably, all the latest gadgets.

Maybe I shouldn't be so surprised - apparently inspiration came from the Mousetrap game ads from the '70s. Despite my relatively recent admission to the ranks of 30-somethings, it seems like only yesterday. This, coupled with inspired use of The Sugarhill Gang's '70s anthem, Rappers Delight, gives it additional street cred and  Honda has created something with genuine youth (perhaps I should say middle- youth) appeal.

So, all in all, retro-targeting, coupled with up-to-the minute ingenious styling. Wiedon & Kennedy have created a legend and Honda should reap the benefits of a new audience who talk about it for a long time to come. It's an ad where the company values are perfectly represented - after all, the whole thing appears faultlessly engineered - after 600-plus takes, the ad simply had to be.