Ever since its introduction in 1912, Oreo has become the best-selling cookie of the 20th century with over 491 billion cookies sold worldwide. The Oreo biscuit was first renamed Oreo Sandwich in 1921, and then to Oreo Creme Sandwich and Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookie in 1948 and 1974, respectively.
However, Oreo brought about the biggest change in itself in 2013 when it overhauled both its image and advertising with a real-time marketing coup. Its widely popular and creative-culturally relevant tweets paved the way for its social success, which was a direct outcome of the transformation that its marketing philosophy and processes had gone through.
So, here’s how Oreo redefined its marketing tactics with the help of Twitter and its three mind-boggling campaigns.
1. #OREOscopes
Given the popularity of horoscopes within the astrology conversation, Oreo needed a way to create a typically 1:1 activity at scale.
Their Objective
Oreo was looking for a way to connect with people who were interested in horoscopes as there were 59M tweets about horoscopes alone in 2020.
Solution & Approach
Oreo launched a first-ever campaign that had all of the zodiac signs Tweeting. Leveraging Twitter’s in-house #EmpathyEngine, Oreo connected on a personal level and provided automated, unique #OREOscopes for people on the timeline.
Oreo drove anticipation with a Branded Notification that encouraged people to get their horoscope with just one click. By Liking Oreo’s Tweet, a time-triggered, automated response was directed to zodiac fans. Also, Oreo leveraged Twitter’s bespoke #EmpathyEngine technology just for its parent company, Mondelez, to scan people’s profiles for unique characteristics. Based on these insights, Oreo created one-of-a-kind #OREOscopes for each person that opted in.
The Result
Oreo’s Twitter campaign performed outstandingly well as it generated over 30.8K #OREOscopes with Twitter’s #EmpathyEngine. The campaign also saw 28x higher engagement than standard paid campaigns, and participants were 2x more likely to engage with Oreo over standard paid ads.
2. #ProudParent
With LGBTQ+ History Month around the corner, Oreo wanted to initiate a campaign connected to National Coming Out Day and start a lasting conversation.
Their Objective
Oreo wanted to show that it was a brand for all people by promoting its commitment and allyship to LGBTQ+ causes where the Pride conversation was happening, i.e., on Twitter.
Solution & Approach
To promote its message of support and allyship with LGBTQ+ causes, Oreo teamed up with National Coming Out Day and PFLAG, an organization that supports LGBTQ+ people and their families. Oreo released #ProudParent on Twitter, its campaign film about a woman who brings her same-sex partner home to meet her family for the first time. The campaign promoted the importance of family love and affirmation in the LGBTQ+ community while also providing resources for parents and families of LGBTQ+ communities.
To help generate as much visibility and impact as possible, Oreo used First View, an exclusive, single-day, “mass awareness” ad format, to debut the #ProudParent campaign. This allowed Oreo to take over the top of the timeline for those valuable first 24 hours. Oreo also used Video Website Cards to link to its OREOProudParent.com website.
Oreo created several edited versions of the original #ProudParent film and showcased these new cut-downs through Video Website Cards that also included a link to OREOProudParent.com. Also, through Twitter Amplify, Oreo bolstered the reach of its brand messaging by pairing its pre-roll video with brand-safe, premium content.
Finally, Oreo connected to the National Coming Out Day conversation by posting a playful but educational Twitter thread that celebrated different LGBTQ+ flags and communities with a little help from their cookies.
The Result
The #ProudParent campaign proved to have a lasting and powerful impact, resulting in a 2,846% increase in brand mentions for Oreo during its Twitter takeover. It also drove a 34% bump in positive sentiment for Oreo and #ProudParent. The campaign generated 5X higher engagement than the benchmark.
In order to reach millions of hungry viewers and a new audience for #OreoChocolateCandy, Oreo sponsored Twitter's IMDb Live Viewing Party.
Their Objective
Oreo’s new Oreo Chocolate Candy bars had just hit shelves, and Oreo was looking for ways to increase the world’s appetite for its launch.
Solution & Approach
Twitter worked with Oreo Chocolate Candy Bar to create a campaign that would run before, during, and after the IMDb Oscars live stream. This marked the first time a brand used In-Stream Video Ads to promote itself. Oreo also dialed up its cultural relevance and added to conversations around the Oscars by creating Moments, capturing highlights from the live-streamed party.
Before the party started, Oreo promoted a 30-second teaser video inviting viewers to the live viewing party and introducing them to its #OreoChocolateCandy. During the Oscars, Oreo promoted the live stream to a targeted audience to bring new audiences to the show. With a non-skippable pre-roll ad running before the live stream, Oreo raised awareness for #OreoChocolateCandy.
The Result
With more than 39.5 million impressions, the campaign brought attention and excitement to the #OreoChocolateCandy. Also, the campaign reached 11M unique users and 2.4M watched through #OreoChocolateCandy.
Wrapping Up
Twitter is one of the best platforms for brands that seek to benefit from a particular event and capitalize on the general sentiment associated with that event. With in-stream video ads and audience targeting, brands can ensure that they are reaching out to the most relevant audience with the most appealing content. However, this requires a clear strategy on how it will be achieved. A solid marketing campaign, like Oreo’s, can go a long way in connecting brands with their existing and potential customers on Twitter.