Oh Oreo, apparently not only one of our most beloved bickies but – according to a new press release, at least – “one of the world’s favourite cookies”, too. So, you may ask, what is the Mondelez International brand up to now? Anything original?
Well, it just so happens that Oreo has teamed up with “man-of-the-moment” – not to mention Noel Gallagher nemesis – Lewis Capaldi for a “quirky” new content push which sees the musician “twisting, licking and dunking a pack of Oreo cookies, and auctioning it on eBay”. Really.
But, before you all recoil in disgust, it’s being done for charity, so that’s OK isn’t it? You see, the “biscuit licking” initiative is the latest wheeze from Oreo’s agency Elvis, which will see the spittle-covered cookies sealed in a signed frame, alongside a limited-edition pack featuring Lewis’ face. This will then be auctioned off, with all profits going to music therapy charity Nordoff Robbins.
It’s all part of a strategy – we kid you not – to make the Oreo “Twist Lick Dunk” ritual famous in the UK. Why you aren’t allowed to just stuff them in your gob is anyone’s guess.
Anyway, the campaign also aims to drive awareness and purchase of Oreo [surprise, surprise] among a core audience of 18- to 45-year-olds, and will run on Twitter and across Capaldi’s own social channels.
Mondelez senior brand manager Joanna Dias said: “We know that people love anything touched by someone famous, and, as one of the most talked about music stars of 2019, we felt Lewis Capaldi was the perfect choice to create a buzz around Orea and the iconic Twist Lick Dunk ritual. We really hope Oreo and Lewis fans get behind us and start bidding so we can raise lots of money for Nordoff Robbins.”
Even Capaldi has waded in, insisting “it’s a real honour” to take a moment away from his “busy, carefully planned eating schedule to lick, twist and dunk [get it right lad, surely you mean Twist Lick Dunk] an entire packet of Oreos, all for Nordoff Robbins – an incredible cause”.
So, what is the consensus around the Decision Marketing office? Now we’ve seen Lewis perform the, er, “iconic Twist Lick Dunk ritual” will we be craving even more Oreos? Will we in fact be buying up every packet of Oreos at our local Tesco Metro [there are other stockists available]? Will we even be fighting with other fans over a chance to outbid them to secure a frame full of saliva-covered cookies?
Er, perhaps not. The thing is, the Twist Lick Dunk ritual might be “iconic” over at Mondelez, but here at Decision Marketing we prefer to just eat our biscuits in the normal way – admittedly up to ten at a time.
Now, you get the sense that they are just trying too hard and have ended up producing something that is a bit too creepy for its own good. No doubt some people will love it; Instagrammers with little else to do, but how many 45-year-olds remains to be seen.
One thing’s for sure, however, the 52-year-old Noel Thomas David Gallagher will be knitting his not-inconsiderable-eyebrows over the folly of it all…
Decision Marketing Adometer: 6 out of 10
