By Persy House
Oreos are a staple of any grocery store’s cookie aisle. Known as “milk’s favourite cookie,” the brand has used strategic advertising to stay relevant in the over one hundred years since its inception in 1912. Oreo’s marketing has always changed with the times, and part of the reason the brand is still relevant today is because it relies heavily on the internet and social media, a very easy and convenient way to target specific consumers.
As social media became more and more relevant, Oreo began to focus much of its advertising on online ad campaigns that played into popular culture. In 2013, Oreo responded to the lights going out during an NFL game with a X (then called Twitter) post saying, “You can still dunk in the dark.” In addition, Oreo began to collaborate with other popular brands and notable figures, including Supreme, Marvel, Sour Patch Kids, Post Malone, and Lady Gaga. At the time of this article’s writing, the brand’s site is advertising its Selena Gomez cookies, which are chocolate & cinnamon flavoured. These collaborations and creative social media posts keep the brand on the cutting edge of pop culture and draw in fans of certain brands and celebrities who may not usually buy Oreos. The brand has created a fun, playful image of itself, which helps to attract its desired customer base.
Oreo’s marketing historically
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Even before its current strategy of online marketing came around, advertisements were a huge part of Oreo’s success. While Oreo cookies may seem unique, they were actually preceded by Hydrox cookies, a treat that sandwiches cream between two chocolate wafers. They were created by Kansas City baker Jacob Loose in 1908. Loose ended up in a war against his brother Joseph, one of the founders of Nabisco, because Joseph had formed the company against his wishes several years prior. With Hydrox gaining popularity, Joseph created Oreo to compete against Hydrox and heavily marketed it in order to outsell his brother’s product.
Oreo brought in the brilliant marketing campaign of “twist, lick, and dunk” in 1923, which started to bring the brand more recognition. The brand continued to outperform Hydrox in marketing in subsequent years. While Oreos were originally cheaper than Hydrox at 30 cents per pound, in the 1950s, Oreo employed another innovative marketing strategy — making its products more expensive to seem like the superior, premium option when compared to Hydrox. This paid off, and Hydrox is now seen as a rip-off despite being the original cream sandwich cookie.
In 1991, the first Halloween Oreo was created, pioneering the idea of seasonal Oreos that is still relevant in its marketing to this day. Seasonal releases and frequent drops of new flavours keep customers coming back to Oreo, and some seasonal releases are still talked about years after being discontinued. Every time Oreo faces a hurdle, it seems to conquer it through clever marketing, and the brand will likely continue to succeed with this strategy.
