Dive Brief:

• Mondelēz International brand Oreo is celebrating the release of its limited-edition cookie, “The Most Oreo Oreo,” with a metaverse activation and a tie-up with celebrity chef Martha Stewart, per details shared with Marketing Dive.
• Created within Meta’s Horizon Worlds, “Oreoverse” invites users to explore its Oreo-themed realm and play mini-games for the chance to win prizes, including a grand prize of $50,000. To promote the activation, Stewart will livestream herself exploring the Oreoverse on the brand’s Instagram and Facebook channels.
• Consumers can watch the livestream on Jan. 30, timed to the day the limited-edition cookie will hit grocery store shelves. The move follows other marketing plays by the brand to connect with consumers using current cultural trends and topics.

Dive Insight: 

Oreo is going all in on the metaverse with the release of its latest limited-edition cookie, “The Most Oreo Oreo,” which for the first time features Oreo grinds in the cookie’s creme to make for a treat described by the brand as “so meta” that it spurred the creation of the Oreoverse. The effort is a clear ploy for Gen Z’s attention, though it also boasts a partnership with Martha Stewart that could prove effective in attracting older audiences. 

Consumers can enter the Oreoverse by visiting a designated microsite, scanning a QR code or using a virtual reality headset. Within the digital realm, users can play a series of games including “Stack Stuf,” which challenges users to build the Most Oreo Oreo cookie and “Rocket Stuf,” which includes inflating the limited-edition cookie for its launch into the stars.

Consumers who engage with the experience now through March 31 also have the chance to win various prizes, some including a virtual reality headset, gaming console, wireless headphones, and, most notably, a check for $50,000. Players can also return each day to up the odds of winning, a strategy that could help the brand boost return visits and loyalty. The experience was created in collaboration with Media.Monks, the production agency of record for Mondelēz, with help from The Martin Agency, among others.

Rounding out the experience, self-labeled metaverse novice Stewart and her longtime friend and gardener Ryan McCallister will take Facebook and Instagram users on a tour of the Oreoverse during their livestream in an effort to prove anyone can successfully navigate the experience, a move that could help attract a more vast audience, including a large percentage of consumers who say they are unfamiliar with the metaverse. Stewart is proving to have some marketing star power as of late, also securing a comedic role with Tito’s vodka for its Dry January campaign just a few weeks ago. 

The latest effort by Oreo follows additional moves meant to connect with various consumer demographics. Last October, it teamed up with Microsoft 365 to create a “Thinvite,” intended to block off calendar time for remote workers in an effort to help curb burnout. The effort also included an Oreo-dipping tool modeled after Microsoft’s original office assistant, touching on themes of nostalgia that could help consumers unplug amid challenging economic times. Oreo last May also released a Pride-themed retail pack as part of a running collaboration with LGBT activism organization PFLAG National.