Tag: Mondelez International

Indonesia – To launch its limited-edition Space Dunk cookies in Southeast Asia, Oreo has taken its iconic milk dunk to new heights – literally – by sending its cookies into space for a playful dip into the Milky Way.

In collaboration with creative agency Leo Indonesia, Oreo reimagined its classic dunk by simulating a space flight that gave the visual impression of the cookie being dunked into the Milky Way—a creative twist meant to refresh the brand’s iconic ritual for new audiences across Southeast Asia.

To bring the space dunk to life, Leo Indonesia teamed up with UK-based company Sent Into Space to design a custom launch craft capable of sending Oreo cookies into the stratosphere. Equipped with a hydraulic system, the craft released a cookie at a precise angle to create the visual illusion of a dunk into the Milky Way. The entire mission—from lift-off to mid-air ejection—was captured using a multi-camera setup.

“Leo Indonesia’s idea for launching Space Dunk cookies was both challenging and funny at the same time. Despite having launched numerous things into space, sending a small cookie in a specific direction demanded substantial engineering and testing. It was also vital to ensure our custom spacecraft returned safely to Earth with no environmental impact. We’re thrilled with the mission’s success!” Chris Rose, PhD, head of projects & business at Sent Into Space, shared. 

Oreo’s space-themed stunt took place on April 11 in Cukul, Indonesia, a location chosen for its clear views of the Milky Way. The launch event welcomed media and influencers from ten Asian markets. A short film documented the cookie’s journey from Oreo’s factory in Cikarang to the stratosphere. The footage offers a light-hearted portrayal of what appears to be an Oreo being “dunked” into the Milky Way, marking the debut of the brand’s limited-edition Space Dunk cookies.

Jonathan McCarthy, vice president of marketing for SEA at Mondelez, commented, “Oreo and milk’s bond is timeless. Launching Oreo Space Dunk cookies, we added a playful twist, taking Oreo’s dunk to new heights…literally! ”

The broader Space Dunk campaign spans ten Asian markets and features five cookie embossments—rocket, helmet, star, telescope, and shooting star—each referencing space exploration. As part of the campaign, a mobile game on www.OREOspacedunk.com, developed by Leo Indonesia, allows users to simulate dunking an OREO into the Milky Way and earn points toward prizes.

“At OREO, we believe that a spark of childlike curiosity can bring families closer together. And what’s more curious (and fun!) than reinventing the iconic ritual of dunking in milk – dunking an Oreo into the Milky Way? This is one more playful step in our journey to connect the world through playfulness,” Lucas Levy, regional marketing director at Mondelez SEA, said.

“When we wondered how OREO could launch space-themed cookies, the answer came straight from the galaxy. Whether there’s milk in the Milky Way, we can’t say, but we do know this is the most epic OREO dunk ever,” Ravi Shanker, chief creative officer at Leo Indonesia and Publicis Groupe Indonesia, added. 

Indonesia – Oreo’s new campaign with Leo Indonesia highlights the sensory appeal of its iconic cookie, emphasising its irresistible pull through the “twist, lick, and dunk” ritual.

With the tagline ‘Dunk Your Craving,’ Oreo’s latest campaign aims to broaden its appeal beyond families and tap into the universal experience of cravings.

The campaign includes two films directed by Diego N Irigoyen, produced with Stink Films and Prodigious. ‘Cravings Calling’ aims to extend Oreo’s appeal to teens, while ‘Missing Oreos’ captures a light-hearted family moment centered on the cookie’s allure.

Jonathan McCarthy, vice president of marketing for SEA at Mondelez International, explained, “Oreo is an iconic brand, but in Southeast Asia we have built our equity as a brand for families with kids. We see immense potential in expanding our audience base and needed to revitalise the brand’s imagery to feel desirable not only to families but also to young adults.” 

The campaign is supported by outdoor and social media assets designed to reach a wider audience. It will roll out across five countries in Southeast Asia.

“While the cookie has always been at the heart of everything we do, we’ve created an outdoor campaign that truly heroes the ‘twist, lick, dunk’ ritual and puts Oreo at the forefront, reminding audiences that cravings can strike anytime, anywhere. It’s a small yet purposeful visual shift that strengthens the brand’s narrative around taste,” said Ravi Shanker, chief creative officer at Leo Indonesia.

Lucas Levy, senior director of marketing for Southeast Asia at Mondelez International, added, “Oreo is an icon of taste, and ‘twist, lick and dunk’ is a popular ritual around the world. Once you crave an Oreo, who can stop thinking about it? When you buy some, who can resist eating a few on your way home? These fun and real observations inspired us to develop this campaign. And as we always say, don’t forget the best part: twist, lick and dunk! 

United Kingdom – After 170 years, Mondelez-owned Cadbury has lost its royal warrant, a prestigious endorsement that was first granted to the Birmingham-based chocolatier by the British royal family in 1854.

Cadbury received its first royal warrant as a chocolate and cocoa manufacturer from Queen Victoria in 1854. The prestigious ‘Royal Warrant of Appointment,’ typically granted for a period of five years, honors companies that supply goods or services to the monarchy, allowing them to display the royal coat of arms on their products as part of advertising or on stationery. 

However, in the latest review of the prestigious list by King Charles III, Cadbury is among the few firms notably absent, alongside consumer goods firm Unilever.

Cadbury’s US owners, Mondelez International, also expressed disappointment over losing the royal warrant they had proudly held for more than a century.

“Whilst we are disappointed to be one of hundreds of other businesses and brands in the UK to not have a new warrant awarded, we are proud to have previously held one, and we fully respect the decision,” a spokesperson for Mondelez International said. 

No specific reasons have been given for why the iconic chocolate maker was dropped, but earlier this year, campaign group B4Ukraine reportedly urged the King to revoke warrants from companies ‘still operating in Russia’ following the invasion of Ukraine. Mondelez and Unilever were among those named in the campaign.

Prof. David Bailey of Birmingham Business School told the BBC that losing the royal warrant could increase costs for Cadbury, as the brand must remove it from all packaging. He described the warrant as a “seal of approval” with significant economic benefits.

Meanwhile, King Charles III has granted royal warrants to 386 companies that previously held them under Queen Elizabeth II, including prominent names like John Lewis, Heinz, and Nestlé. The updated list also features several food and drink firms, such as Moët & Chandon, Weetabix, and chocolatiers Bendicks and Prestat Ltd.

The announcement of Cadbury losing its royal warrant comes shortly after the brand celebrated its 200th anniversary earlier this year. 

Chicago, USA – Mondelēz International has announced that it has teamed up with Publicis Groupe and Accenture to launch of a new platform designed to improve its global marketing capabilities while optimizing consumer experiences through expanded use of artificial intelligence (AI) and generative AI (GenAI).

The company’s new platform will enable faster, more efficient creation of personalised text, images and videos – helping the company’s brands stay a step ahead of rapidly changing consumer tastes and interests.

Building on its long partnership with Mondelēz, Accenture established a strong digital core enabling the company to collect and process real-time data — using GenAI to create new, contextualised insights — that can be easily accessed, shared and used by decision makers across the company. Going forward, Accenture will help scale and activate this platform through employee training and adoption strategies.

Meanwhile, Publicis Groupe will be responsible for leading execution and building the GenAI foundation that will power creative assets. Both organisations will work closely with Mondelēz marketing teams to realise the vision of redefining consumer goods marketing.

Jon Halvorson, senior vice president of global consumer experiences and digital commerce at Mondelēz, said, “Harnessing the power of gen AI will empower our people to play a proactive role in how our brands show up in the market. This drives real value for the business through creating, personalizing and distributing on-trend creative not only at pace, but also safely, securely and with brand integrity.”

Meanwhile, Venky Rao, Americas & AI lead and global client account lead for Mondelēz at Accenture, stated, “As curators of some of the world’s most iconic brands, Mondelēz marketers will be able to tap into the power of data, AI and gen AI to drive innovation, gather audience and market insights, improve behind-the-scenes processes, turbocharge measurement, conduct near-real-time testing and facilitate higher degrees of personalization at every consumer touchpoint.”

Lastly, Scott Hagedorn, global chief solutions architect at Publicis Groupe, commented, “Publicis is proud to be a transformation partner in this journey, as part of our broader Power of One solution for Mondelēz, and shares this same holistic approach – bringing the best capabilities together to deliver a truly game-changing solution, underpinned by best-in-class data and technology.”

Chicago, USA – Mondelēz International has announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire a significant majority stake in Evirth, a manufacturer of cakes and pastries in China, subject to customary closing conditions, including regulatory approval. 

The move represents an important step forward in Mondelēz’s strategy to accelerate growth in the cakes and pastries category – a core focus for the company, alongside chocolate and biscuits.

It is worth noting that Mondelēz already has a minority investment in Evirth to develop, manufacture and supply frozen-to-chilled cakes and pastries in China featuring some of its iconic brands, including Oreo and Philadelphia. Evirth is growing rapidly, driven by its strong distribution in club stores across China, as well as its R&D and technical expertise.

Founded in 2013, Evirth is a leading company in frozen-to-chilled cakes and pastries in China, a category currently estimated at US$3b, growing at a compound annual growth rate of about 15%. Chinese consumers increasingly seek fresh, premium options with innovative and sophisticated taste profiles to meet a growing range of snacking occasions.

Dirk Van de Put, Mondelēz Chair and CEO, said, “We’re excited about the opportunity to accelerate our growth in cakes and pastries through continuous innovation, leveraging our high-value brands to create more premium tastes and formats.”

Meanwhile, Linfeng Xu, chairman, founder and general manager at Evirth, commented, “We are excited that Mondelēz International is increasing its investment in Evirth, and this is a historic moment for us. By bringing in Mondelēz’s brand experience, technical strength, and international network, Evirth can be better positioned to provide premium products for our customers and consumers.”

Mondelēz has strengthened its portfolio of cakes, pastries and other baked snacks through its April 2020 acquisition of Give & Go, a manufacturer of frozen-to-fresh brownies, cookies, cupcakes and related bakery products in North America, and its January 2022 acquisition of Chipita Global SA, a manufacturer in croissants, baked rolls and related snacks, focused in Central and Eastern Europe, with increasing expansion to additional markets.

Singapore – Popular food brands Coca-Cola and OREO are teaming up to offer fans unique flavor experiences that celebrate the so-called ‘Real Magic’ of friendship. The tie-up will include the release of two limited edition products: the Coca‑Cola® OREO™ Zero Sugar and OREO® Coca‑Cola™ Sandwich Cookie.

Both limited edition products sport a sleek, black-and-white packaging design that remains true to the two brands’ iconic personalities while embracing creative elements like OREO® cookie embossments and stacked Coca‑Cola® bottles.

The OREO® Coca‑Cola™ Sandwich Cookie features two signature chocolate basecakes paired with a Coca‑Cola taste, embossed with Coca‑Cola designs, with a smooth white-colored creme and studded with red edible glitter. Coca‑Cola® OREO™ Zero Sugar features a refreshing Coca‑Cola taste with flavorful, OREO cookie-inspired hints.

Moreover, the exclusive offerings are the latest surprise-and-delight drops from the global Coca‑Cola Creations platform, which lends the iconic Coca‑Cola brand to new creative expressions, unexpected flavors and immersive experiences anchored in the core Gen Z passions of music, gaming, sports, technology and pop culture.

Oana Vlad, global VP of brand strategy at The Coca‑Cola Company, said, “We took careful steps to ensure we delivered the OREO experience in a Coca‑Cola, and vice versa. Both products went through several iterations, and we look forward to following the public conversation of what each tastes like. At the end of day, our mutual commitment to product quality and technical excellence — and our willingness to have fun and work together as one team — made this possible.”

Meanwhile, Eugenia Zalis, global head of marketing and brand for OREO at Mondelez International, commented, “At OREO, we strive to identify fresh ways to excite consumers and, with this collaboration, we have truly upped the ante. The bestie bond forged between OREO and Coca‑Cola is a playful way to unite our fanbases and celebrate the power of connection and togetherness. We cannot wait to see the reaction to the campaign and hope fans are excited to experience the latest twists on two classics.”

Like previous Coca‑Cola Creations drops, the collab complements the limited-time-only products with immersive digital and physical experiences designed for friends to enjoy together. 

Fans can activate “Bestie Mode” by scanning on-pack QR codes to merge their music tastes and create custom Spotify playlists commemorating their friendship. Bestie Mode will translate IRL, as well, through live experiences including Ferris wheel takeovers and the opportunity for friends to create matching temporary tattoos and more.

Coca‑Cola® OREO™ Zero Sugar will hit stores beginning in September in 35 markets worldwide, including the United States, Canada, China, Mexico and Brazil. A frozen variation of Coca‑Cola® OREO™ Zero Sugar will also be available at participating 7-Eleven locations in select markets.

Singapore – Global food company Mondelez International has announced the appointment of Hemant Rupani as its new president of its Southeast Asia business unit. He was previously the managing director of Mondelez Kinh Do Vietnam, and replaces Glenn Caton who has moved to a global role.

In his new role, Rupani will be responsible for the SEA cluster of markets including the exports business in the broader Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa (AMEA) region, leading growth and end-to-end business.

Rupani is an accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience working in India, US and Vietnam covering various industries including food and beverage (F&B), telecommunications, and consulting. Prior to joining Mondelez International in 2016, he worked with several leading organisations including PepsiCo, Vodafone, Britannia, and Infosys Technologies.

Speaking about his appointment, Hemant said, “The SEA business has been on an accelerated growth path driven by increasing consumption, digital penetration, talented population, and cultural diversity in the region.”

He added, “We have built a reign as category leaders across segments with our portfolio of iconic global brands and local jewels. Combining our solid team, local-first strategy, and robust investments, we are in a strong position to lead the future of snacking and drive sustainable growth forward.”

Malaysia – In celebration of Merdeka, the Independence Day of Malaysia, Mondelēz International’s chocolate brand Cadbury has launched a touching tribute to the founding of Malaysia. Called ‘Merdeka Unseen’, the campaign uses technology to take audiences on a sentimental journey through history.

Created in collaboration with creative agency Ogilvy Malaysia, the film features Johan, a gentleman that was present during that iconic Merdeka Day in 1957 and brought him back to the stadium to relive that experience. real-time, as he walked through the stadium, memories were projected onto the seats where those moments happened. 

Through Johan’s memories of Merdeka, the film serves as a reminder that generosity has always been at the heart of the Malaysian spirit and when people all take the time to look, they can find goodness everywhere around everyone.

Cadbury said that Merdeka is equivalent to ‘The Superbowl’ in Malaysia. Big and small brands all celebrate this momentous occasion with salutations and tributes. While it is a popular season, the sea of sameness has been prevalent: messages of unity, breaking down cultural barriers and differences, coming together, and resolving differences. But as a brand that has been in Malaysia for over 100 years, Cadbury wanted to show a side of Merdeka that’s never been seen before. 

For 65 years, the topic of Merdeka has centred around the iconic speech of Tunku Abdul Rahman. It’s been studied in schools and plastered across advertising campaigns nationwide. But Merdeka is more than just that speech. Through the use of technology, the film brought to life the many symbolic moments that happened that same day, defining the spirit of what it means to be Malaysian. Instead of centring the narrative around one man’s speech, Cadbury centred the campaign around the millions who watched that speech and more.

Nikhil Nicholas, SEA marketing lead for chocolates at Mondelēz International, said, “Cadbury Dairy Milk has always strived to shine a spotlight on the generous instinct that exists in all of us and found the perfect opportunity here to do just that this Merdeka, by recreating Johan’s memories of the everyday goodness that he witnessed all around him on that momentous day.” 

Meanwhile, Nizwani Shahar, Ogilvy’s chief executive for Malaysia, shared that Cadbury Dairy Milk is an iconic global brand, and they are proud to be part of a winning team that continues to drive brand impact and business growth in a modern landscape. 

“We hold the Cadbury flag high having worked on this business for so long and the ability to keep pushing out impactful, powerful work is a true testament to a solid partnership with clients who give us permission to play and push boundaries,” said Shahar.

Adrian Miller, Ogilvy’s chief creative officer for Malaysia, noted that the truth of today is that no one wants to spend any second of their day watching any form of advertising, especially during an occasion like Merdeka where the same stories have been rinsed and repeated. 

“But what people do want to watch is a powerful story that they haven’t seen before. A story that intrigues them and adds value to their day. That’s what we aspire to do with every piece of work and that’s a shared ambition we have with our partners at Mondelēz,” said Miller.