… and this little cookie launched a major viral marketing campaign

The Girl Scouts have grown up a lot since they launched their lackluster “Girl Scout Cookies Venture Into Cyberspace” PR campaign a mere three years ago.

This year, the campaign is terrific. Why? Because it isn’t about the cookies. It’s about building a strong Girl Scouts brand, which is at the forefront of the messaging:

Every Cookie has a Mission: to Help Girls Do Great Things

This week’s BrandChannel “Brands We Love” column reports that this most recent Girl Scouts campaign is a precursor to an overall rebranding plan that will be unveiled later this spring, focusing on how scouting builds leadership, helps teach girls how to manage money and how cookie sales help drive philanthropic efforts locally and abroad.

Now that you know all of that… don’t you feel justified in buying a few more boxes of Girl Scout cookies? I know I do.