Is Oreo the official cookie of Christmas? Santa says it is this year.

It’s just a silly advertising campaign for a popular American cookie but should Santa Claus be playing favorites with cookies? This year Nabisco, the maker of Oreo cookies, is counting on consumers saying yes to their choice. It’s a capitalist’s dream campaign, isn’t it?

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What better cookie connoisseur is there than jolly old St. Nick? Every year children leave out cookies for him as a special treat at bedtime. It’s an innocent kind of quid pro quo – Santa gets Christmas cookies, the kiddos get presents. Most of us have been there. This year Oreo’s holiday campaign includes a television commercial featuring an elf purchasing Oreos for Santa and soda at a gas station convenience store, only to be educated by the clerk that milk is the drink for Oreos. It’s the elf’s first year working with Santa, you see. It’s cute. We need cute at Christmas time.

Then, since this is 2019, a Twitter campaign was launched. Santa isn’t “sliding his sleigh into your DMs” but writing out his request – a plate of Oreo cookies, please. “No sugar cookies, no chocolate chip mumbo jumbo, or your Nana’s special recipe.” Ah-oh. Is Santa taking on Nana and her Christmas cookies? This could have repercussions. What about the moms (or dads) and kids who bake the cookies to set out for Santa? Bold move, Santa. He asks for a response – a tweet with the hashtag #OREOforSanta – if you’re playing along.

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One clever company took advantage of the opportunity to respond to Santa with its own brand. Sour Patch Kids promoted their Santa Mix in their response. So Santa put them on the Naughty List:

There were some Grinchy responses, too, because, Twitter:

You get the picture. Santa, though, has hawked products in the past. Remember the Coca Cola ads with Santa? Those are classics.

Macy’s used Santa and their annual parade to deliver a woke message that girls can play Santa, too. Girl power, or something.

Sales are good this year and Oreo wants to keep it going. Snacking, as it turns out, is now more popular than actual meals with a majority of adults worldwide.

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With a stronger focus on the holidays, Oreo looks to preserve business momentum that’s seen sales rise 8.5% and category market share up 1.4 points year-to-date, per figures shared by a spokesperson. Growth for the brand comes as snacking continues to gain consumer interest, particularly among key younger demographics. A recent Mondelez ​study conducted with The Harris Poll found 59% of adults worldwide prefer snacking to eating meals, Food Dive reported, with that figure leaping to 70% for surveyed millennials.

Good luck, Santa. Watch your back for angry grandmas, though. Those cookie recipes are family treasures.

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Jazz Shaw 7:20 PM | March 18, 2024
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