BACKGROUND

In its 11 years of existence in India, Oreo had spent millions in positioning itself as kids’ cookie, sharply targeting 2–10-year-olds to become the #1 premium cream biscuit. However, this same equity was working against Oreo. Penetration dropped by 7% in households with kids above 10 years old. Oreo alienated 56.8% of all urban households with older kids and without kids by choice, drastically reducing its playing field. By mid-2022, Oreo was at the risk of becoming a one-off, premium treat for the child, rather than a consistent presence in the grocery basket. Our business task was to increase penetration in non-core Oreo householders without alienating core Oreo households.

CREATIVE CHALLENGE

To speak to both these unique audience simultaneously we needed a unifier – cricket. Cricket is considered a religion in India with more than 93% of 1.4Bn Indians officially subscribing to cricket content and close to 100% of them being fans. Cricket isn't just a sport in India; it's prime time for snacking. Yet, despite its popularity, Oreo had not tapped into this massive opportunity. To address this, our creative challenge was to leverage cricket's widespread appeal to introduce Oreo into more Indian homes.

SOLUTION

Indians are famously superstitious about cricket, often believing in luck charms and their influence on the game's outcome. Aligned with Oreo's brand essence to 'Stay Playful' and foster playful connections, we spotted a unique opportunity. Interestingly, Oreo's launch year in India, 2011, coincided with India's World Cup victory. Inspired by this, we crafted a playful campaign suggesting that relaunching Oreo in 2022 might just help India clinch another World Cup win, connecting the brand's playful spirit with the nation's cricket superstitions.

EXECUTION

We launched the #BringBack2011 campaign to unite a billion Indians to recreate the 2011 World Cup victory. To lend credibility in our cause, we roped in MS Dhoni, the captain from India's 2011 win.

The buzz began with a strategically timed YouTube live press conference by Dhoni. This move capitalized on the rampant media speculation about Dhoni's potential retirement, stirring a national conversation filled with anticipation. The climax of our campaign came during the live event, where instead of announcing his retirement, Dhoni unveiled the #BringBack2011 initiative.

Dhoni further cemented his involvement by recreating his iconic 2011 hairstyle, turning this moment into a viral sensation that captured the nation's attention.

To walk the talk, we temporarily deleted Oreo’s Instagram page to mimic the absence of the platform in 2011, which piqued further interest and discussion among our followers.

RESULTS

Slowly the nation followed as they brought back 2011 in form of old tattoos, hair styles, jerseys, restaurant menus and more.

-9.9% Penetration Growth

-For the first time in Oreo India history, 69% penetration came from non-core Oreo households (with teens or no kids) & only 31% were Oreo’s historically targeted kids’ households

-45% increase in Sales Growth Rate of which 56% was gained from competition

-ROI of 1:11

-250+ Earned Media Publications that resulted in over $3Mn in Earned Media.