VML: OREO's OREO Walks

The challenge for an iconic brand like OREO is not always awareness but consideration at the point of purchase. Shoppers do not always visit the cookie aisle, meaning the brand needed a bold idea to intercept them before they entered the store. The objective was to remind them of the brand and encourage an impulse purchase at the exact moment their shopping intent was still forming.

The campaign extended OREO’s playful brand identity by encouraging consumers to find OREOs in plain sight. In Cincinnati and Columbus, crosswalks outside select Kroger stores were transformed into stacks of OREO cookies. VML’s creative execution blended minimalistic character art with the black and white crosswalk lines, as illustrated faces appeared to munch on the cookies. This turned everyday foot traffic into a playful brand interaction.

To bridge the gap between outdoor advertising and in-store sales, shoppers were invited to scan a QR code on the pavement or visit a dedicated website to unlock a special offer. By placing the experience directly outside the store, OREO shifted from being a product on a shelf to a powerful visual and behavioural cue that primed purchase before a shopper even picked up a basket.

The OREO Walks campaign provided a creative solution to driving purchase by intercepting shoppers at a critical point in their journey. As Carly Kerlakian, Director of Omnichannel Activation at Mondelēz International noted “We know shoppers don’t always head to the cookie aisle, so we brought OREO Cookies to them right at the entrance. It’s a great reminder that creativity doesn’t just build awareness, it drives purchase.”

The campaign successfully demonstrated how a simple out-of-home placement could be transformed into an interactive and shoppable experience, effectively converting everyday foot traffic into impulse-driven sales.