Oreo Thins: less Oreo, same price
Nothing says "we've saturated our market" like a brand trying all kinds of new gimmicks to nab new customer segments, and no one typifies that ethos like Oreo!
Over the years, as their customer base has stagnated, they've pulled out Spring Oreos (in pastel colors), Birthday Cake Oreos, Cotton Candy Oreos, Pumpkin Spice Oreos, S'mores Oreos (disappointingly not called "S'mOreos," for some reason), and Nabisco's latest: Oreo Thins, which reportedly contain the same creme-to-cookie ratio but with a wafer-like form.
Hands Off, Kids!
Like Peek Freans once did in the '80s, Oreos is positioning these crisper, thinner cookies as being "for adults." Remember how well that worked for Peek Freans? Do you even remember Peek Freans?! Exactly! Maybe a better reference would be the Arch Deluxe, McDonald's foray into "just for adults" marketing? Didn't work out for them, either.
Are They 'Diet' Oreos?
By employing "thin" in the name, it has been speculated that Nabisco — despite their protests to the contrary — is going after the health conscious cookie-eaters with these "lower calorie" snacks. (Four Oreo Thins have 20 fewer calories than three regular Oreos, to put it in the most confusing way possible.)
Get Less But Pay the Same
But let's face it, if you really consider yourself "health conscious," your diet probably consists of "no Oreos," right? The real reason they're called "thin" might just be because a package of the cookies contains less actual food; a bag of Thins weighs in at 10.1 oz while the "fat" Oreos contain 14.3 oz. But despite having less cookies overall, the Thins will still cost the same. So, the package is lighter, while making your wallet lighter, too. See, it is all about weight!
No Twisting, No Shouting!
Did you ever pick up an Oreo and think, "These are great, but they come apart too easily and goterribly with milk?" Well, then maybe you'll love Oreo Thins, because they were not designed for either of those activities.
No matter who Nabisco thinks these cookies are aimed at, they will either find an audience, or they won't. You can't force people to buy in to your un-fun Oreo propaganda!
What do you think, cookie-munchers? Are you the consumer Nabisco is looking for?
This article first appeared in DealNews.
