International and homegrown Chinese brands are seeing sales flattening as China’s economy slows. How could Mondelez deliver growth in this stagnant market? China’s rural population of over 600 million citizens has huge potential but research has consistently shown they prefer local brands above foreign ones (53% vs. 8% BCG). And reaching this vast area is notoriously difficult as traditional retail distribution points don’t exist and only 46% of people are online (in comparison to 84% in urban China). Our brief was to tap into this new audience of consumers and find a way into local culture and hearts. Success would be measured against the following:

a) Reach new customers and increase ecommerce visits by 55%

b) Increase YOY sales by 20%

To begin Oreo’s journey home…

With Alibaba’s help we established 10,000 new distribution points across rural China, creating village pop up stores filled with special edition Oreos.

We wrapped the outside of trains heading from cities to the rural areas, creating anticipation and excitement for the big trip home. Covering 37 stations and travelling over 100,000km into the heart of the Chinese countryside. We created an “Oreo World”, complete with branded cushions, posters, window stickers and wallets.

This message was amplified in the TVC, helping scale our message and creating the context for bringing Oreo into the countryside.

To complete the Oreo journey, local experts showed visitors how to scan the QR code and access the Mondelez flagship store for direct purchase, using online exclusive offers to reward new users.