Oreo Comes Out of the Pantry and Celebrates Pride Week

I confess. I sometimes break my diet with a cold glass of milk and a short stack of Oreo cookies. That’s why I took notice when Oreo chose to celebrate Pride Week with this colorful rainbow cookie. Grabs you, doesn’t it?

Within hours of posting it on the brand's Facebook page, the image went viral. The conversation has been vigorous. Many “likes” and a few vitriolic Internet trolls doing some gay-bashing.

The Pride cookie, which has multiple layers of colorful creme, is part of the brand's 100-year anniversary print campaign, "The History Print", which recreated historical events using Oreo cookies and their best complement, a cold glass of milk.

Tolerance is timely. The Oreo campaign reflects that. How symbolic it is when an iconic All-American brand welcomes a cultural change. Americans see themselves as fair-minded people. But the recent polarization of viewpoints on gay couples has left many centrists wondering, “What’s the big deal?”

That’s the sweet spot for any risk-taking campaign. Keep the edges crisp and unburden the middle.

Much like the cookie.