Oreo Lighten the Mood of the Nation

Oreo’s “Stay Playful” campaign launched a year ago. That 2019 work looks like a marketing playbook from a vanished world. There were in-store and experiential activations (involving a record player that ‘played’ Oreo cookies) and ads themed around how people were spending too much time with their devices and not enough with one another.

How things change. Now ‘brand experiences’ happen on TikTok, and people’s devices have become lifelines to a world outside the persistent lockdown.

But the mark of a strong idea is how it adapts – not just to different markets but to different events. And “Stay Playful” has adapted, becoming “Stay Home, Stay Playful” – an idea originally suggested by the brand’s African office but which is quickly being adapted across the world.

Like so many ads right now, it’s a montage of user-generated content, showing families having fun in quarantine (often with cookies involved). Wiz Khalifa, who fronted the brand’s initial “Stay Playful” campaign, returns with a freshly-written rap which helps capture the moment.

The ad’s been an emotional success for the brand at a time when playfulness and making the best of the situation resonates strongly with audiences. It scored an excellent 5.0-Stars and a very good 1.25-Spike score, suggesting it’s a spot that will work long-term to boost the warm feelings people have about the Oreo brand.

Right now a lot of marketers are emphasising what they’re doing to help on the frontlines of the crisis, or working to reassure worried customers. Oreo have realised – rightly – that their role is different: they want to help lighten the emotional load of lockdown by injecting a little fun into it. It’s a great example of a brand sticking to its existing ideas and messaging rather than trying to pivot – but doing it with a sensitivity that helps it land with viewers.