Oreo transforms crosswalks into cookies to spur impulse purchases

• Oreo is transforming crosswalks outside of select Kroger locations as a part of its efforts with agency partner VML to mix marketing creative with commerce, according to a press release.  
• Shoppers who look down on the pavement on their approach to a Kroger might be greeted by illustrated characters munching on Oreos, with the stacked cookies mixing into the white stripes of the crosswalk and blacktop pavement. 
• The outdoor installations moreover feature a QR code that may be scanned to receive a special in-store offer. The activation designed to drive impulse purchases will appear at Krogers in several Ohio markets.

Oreo’s out-of-home crosswalks construct on previous marketing ploys that link the snack’s recognizable appearance — white cream filling sandwiched between a pair of black, manhole cover-like cookies — with on a regular basis iconography. Past experiments with VML have riffed on similarities between Oreos and “hamburger” website navigation tools, in addition to bar codes for scanning goods at checkout. The Oreo Walks effort brings the concept further into the true world by targeting consumers who’re already primed to shop and on their way into Kroger. 

The crosswalks intend to reach individuals who may not have otherwise stopped within the cookie aisle, according to Carly Kerlakian, director of omnichannel activation at Oreo parent Mondelēz. Providing a special offer via a QR code may further encourage conversions, linking the brand-building element of the activation to marketing performance. The Oreo Walks deal can also be available via the cookiemaker’s website to visitors who share their name and email address, providing Oreo with more first-party data.

The illustrations featured on the crosswalks are meant to be each minimalist and playful, aligning with a “design evolution” Oreo has undertaken over the past several years, per the press release. Oreo is positioning its approach as eye-catching without being interruptive. The activation is appearing in Ohio markets including Columbus, Cincinnati and Mason.

Oreo and VML earlier this yr launched an audio-focused web game that tasked players with sounding out complex mixtures of “O” and “RE” inside a closing date. Those who successfully accomplished the tongue twisters received access to special Kroger deals on Oreo.

Oreo attempting to spur more impulse purchases comes as consumer sentiment stays low within the U.S. and more households in the reduction of on discretionary spending. Mondelez’s net revenue in North America dropped 3.5% yr over yr in Q2, with executives indicating that customers will feel the fuller effect of tariffs within the yr’s second half.

“[As] it relates to biscuits, particularly within the U.S., we see a really anxious and weak consumer situation,” said Mondelez CEO Dirk Van de Putz on a July earnings call discussing the Q2 results. “I’m not expecting that that immediately might be higher next yr. So I’m expecting that we’ll have to increase our investment in our brands also in North America next yr.”