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Oreo
1912-1920s
When Nabisco launched Oreo in 1912, the snack’s slogan, “Oreo Biscuit,” kept things simple. The company later updated the tagline to “Oreo Sandwich” to showcase its unique cream filling. With early ads spotlighting the cream filling. A unique feature to cookies in America.
But Oreo wasn’t the original cookie with this concept. Hydrox cookies were a similar product that launched in 1908, making Oreo the copycat.
But Nabisco’s sharper marketing crushed Hydrox into obscurity. The “Oreo Sandwich” campaign showed that proper positioning beats invention. By the 1920s, the cookie was one of the most popular snacks in America.
1950s
The “Oh! Oh! Oreo” jingle turned Oreo into a cultural moment. The catchy tune bounced across radio waves and flickered on early television screens, reaching postwar families hungry for simple pleasures.
The slogan coincided with the twist-lick-dunk ritual that was featured in print advertisements and America’s newest medium: Television.
The slogan made Oreo feel playful and memorable. Kids sang it. Parents hummed it. Sales doubled between 1950 and 1955. The “Oh! Oh! Oreo” years proved that a good jingle sticks in your head longer than any magazine ad.
1950s-present
“Milk’s Favorite Cookie” has appeared on Oreo packages for over 70 years, making it one of the longest-running taglines in advertising history.
The phrase did more than describe a pairing. It claimed ownership of an entire ritual. When you thought of milk and cookies, you thought of Oreos.
The slogan reinforced dunking as the natural way to eat the cookie. And the connection became automatic in American minds.
1980s-present
“Twist, Lick, Dunk” isn’t technically an official slogan, but it functions like one.
Nabisco ran commercials in the 1980s teaching viewers the proper Oreo eating technique. The genius move transformed product use into brand identity. You didn’t just eat an Oreo. You performed the “Twist, Lick, Dunk” ritual.
The phrase entered everyday language. Parents taught it to kids. The method became tradition. In 2017, Nabisco even built a machine that perfectly executes the twist, separating cookie halves and leaving all cream on one side.
2013
The “Wonderfilled” campaign launched with a simple question: “Wonder if I gave an Oreo to you?”
The ads featured whimsical animations showing Oreos solving ancient feuds. Sharks made peace with lifeguards. Elvis reconciled with his impersonators. Owls befriended squirrels.
Owl City recorded the campaign’s dreamy song, giving “Wonderfilled” a soundtrack that matched its optimistic tone.
The approach positioned Oreos as peace offerings and conversation starters rather than mere snacks.
“Wonderfilled” tried to attach a deeper meaning to a cookie, suggesting that sharing Oreos could bridge divides.
The campaign ran heavily on television and digital platforms, aiming to make Oreo feel less like a guilty pleasure and more like a force for good.
2018-2020
“Stay Playful” targeted adults who refused to surrender their inner child. The campaign showed grown people dunking cookies with abandon, licking cream filling without shame, and embracing messy joy.
“Stay Playful” gave permission to be silly with food.
Commercials featured adults in everyday situations choosing whimsy over seriousness.
The timing matched a cultural moment when millennials and Gen X pushed back against rigid adulthood.
Nabisco paired “Stay Playful” with limited-edition flavors like Waffles & Syrup and Pumpkin Spice, testing consumer appetite for novelty. The company released over 65 flavors during this period.
2021-present
Oreo’s newest campaign, “Open Up,” encourages people to share cookies and forge connections.
The tagline has been adapted for local cultures and languages.
Oreo sponsors music festivals, gaming tournaments, and pride events under the “Open Up” banner, positioning the brand as inclusive and community-focused.
The campaign responds to a fractured world by suggesting that small acts, like offering a cookie, can create bridges.
In China, Oreo pushed “Open Up” to wild limits by creating “music box” cookies with edible records that played songs when scanned with a phone app. The technology merged snacking with entertainment, making “Open Up” feel fresh and forward-thinking.
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