OREO Cakesters were originally launched in 2007 but discontinued in 2012. This soft cookie was the perfect snack for kids and teens to eat after school in the 2000s. It had a special place in their hearts, so for 10 years, fans had been asking for their return. In 2022, OREO decided to bring them back.

With all that emotional baggage, we couldn’t just put them back on shelves. We needed to connect with fans and create a big moment to announce the comeback.

The timing of the launch didn’t help us and we also knew we had to stand out from all the other OREO product launches. So instead of partnering with a giant retailer, or the trendiest brand, we decided to partner with a brand that almost doesn’t exist anymore, with only one store remaining in the world located in a small town: Blockbuster. We chose Blockbuster because it’s the only place in the world where it still felt like 2007. To make people feel like the 2000s were back, we re-launched Cakesters in the Last Blockbuster on Earth, located in Bend, Oregon, USA. We took over the store, with a sign on the store front, posters on the windows and shelves full of Cakesters inside custom VHS boxes. On OREO’s social handles and using influencers, we invited fans to come visit the store to get their free snacks.

When they launched in 2007, OREO Cakesters were the perfect snack, and they had a special place in the hearts of OREO lovers. So, to re-launch Cakesters, our target audience was simple—all OREO Cakesters lovers from years past, and also potential new OREO lovers from today. Since so many OREO Cakesters fans had a deep emotional connection with the delicious, soft cookies, we decided to take them back to that moment when they first graced our pantries. From a PR point of view, we targeted publications far and wide, from food outlets to lifestyle, marketing, trend, consumer, and more. Plus, to cover the event in Bend, we also invited local Oregon news stations to capture the spirit of the relaunch and takeover.

For three days, we took over the Last Blockbuster on Earth in Bend, Oregon, USA, adding an OREO Cakesters sign on top of the iconic Blockbuster sign, adding 50 fake movie posters on the windows and interior walls, and filling the shelves with more than 400 custom-made VHS boxes that had Cakesters inside. The posters and boxes were made with 6 different illustrators, representing 6 different movie genres. The “movies” were all about the return of Cakesters, of course.

Most of the VHS boxes were given out to the store-goers, but some were also sent to fans and influencers so they could experience the partnership even if they were not in Bend.

The OREO Cakesters campaign was the most successful relaunch in Oreo’s history. The campaign garnered a 2731% increase in TikTok views in one day, 350 million media impressions, and 267 news mentions.