Image Courtesy of The OREO Brand
Mondelēz International has seemingly raised the bar on limited-edition releases with a collaboration with Grammy-nominated rapper and singer Post Malone on an OREO with a “first-of-its-kind swirled crème.”
The cookie, which will hit store shelves nationwide on Feb. 3 until supplies run out, combines salted caramel and shortbread flavors sandwiched between a classic OREO chocolate cookie and a golden cookie, according to a press release.
Each sandwich cookie features one of nine embossments handpicked by Malone and inspired by his music, including a sunflower — a nod to his record-setting Double Diamond single "Sunflower" — as well as a butterfly that represents his "Twelve Carat Toothache" album on vinyl. Each pack also has a handwritten signed note on the back.
Malone told USA Today he has been on a salted caramel kick for two years now, and “like any other human being,” he's been eating OREOs his “whole life.” He said of the cookie’s taste, “It was love at first bite, to be poetic.”
News of the release drew extensive media coverage and attention across social media.
This is not OREO’s first celebrity deal. In 2021, OREO teamed up with pop star Lady Gaga for a line of limited-edition cookies inspired by her “Chromatica” album.
“Partnerships have become a mainstay of our playbook,” Michelle Deignan, VP of marketing for OREO U.S. at Mondelēz International, told Ad Age. “We look at consumer trends and who will fit the brand ethos of ‘playfully provocative’ to put us in the cultural zeitgeist. Post’s playfulness comes through in his self-expression and he has a way of bringing together genres that just felt very right.”
In recent years, celebrity collaborations on limited-edition meals have taken off at QSRs following McDonald’s breakout collaboration in 2000 with rapper and record producer Travis Scott. Other popular partnerships include ones between South Korean boy band BTS and McDonald's, rapper Megan Thee Stallion and Popeyes, pop star Justin Bieber and Tim Hortons, and singer Sabrina Carpenter and Dunkin'.
Their success taps into “drop culture,” which uses a scarcity model to stoke demand. Similar to celebrity join-ups by sneaker brands and fashion houses, the partnerships help fast-food chains better connect with millennial and Gen Z customers.
The strong appeal of celebrity-curated meals for fast-food chains also reflects an interest in foodie culture that has supported collaborations like Balenciaga and Lays, Crocs and Pop-Tarts, and Nike and Ben & Jerry’s.
OREOs, along with M&M’s and Dr Pepper, are among food brands that have accelerated the rollout of limited-edition flavors to likewise create some buzz. However, OREO’s partnerships with Lady Gaga and Post Malone are the rare celebrity collaborations on a product headed to grocery stores.
“Flavor innovations and collaborations, inspired by fan behavior, have become a mainstay in our playbook as a way to maintain relevancy across our portfolio of snack brands,” said Tanya Berman, SVP of Biscuit at Mondelēz, in the press release. “With an iconic brand like OREO, our challenge is to consistently raise the bar and discover fresh ways to engage our fans. This collaboration with Post Malone sets a new standard.”