Oreo's 'at home' campaign asks kids, adults to make the most of WFH

COVID-19 quarantine has thrown everyone in unchartered waters, keeping families confined together, with no way out; bringing in the 'new normal' of a monotonous routine. However, time and again, it has been proved that the human spirit is strong and can rise above any challenge, even if it’s a pandemic.

At this point, in a bid to break the monotony of lockdown and work from home (WFM), Oreo has introduced a digital campaign #AtHomeWithOreo. The ad features kids embracing the 'new normal' as their parents are seen working from home in the background.

The first part of the campaign is an anthem-style song on the theme of playfulness, featuring kids of different ages, being creative indoors to pass their time. The second part is an 'Oreo induced' take on TikTok's viral brush challenge. In Oreo's version of the challenge, a packet of Oreo cookies is passed between children and adults alike from one home to another.

Mark Mcdonald, executive vice president and head of creative, India, Digitas, says, “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdown, it’s clear that peoples’ desire to connect, share and innovate has not dampened. If anything, it’s on the rise. The 'At Home With Oreo' campaign seeks to inspire and encourage people to adopt playfulness, while staying indoors."

"From fun recipes with Oreo, to keeping kids' hands busy with Oreo art, and even giving adults a break from their WFH madness, we’ve ensured that the spirit is alive and well. We’ve amplified the campaign further with #MakeWayForPlay. It's a fun challenge that brings people into the fold by passing on the Oreo baton virtually. After all, the playful spirit is at its best when shared,” added Mcdonald.

Commenting on the campaign, Sudhanshu Nagpal, associate director – marketing (biscuits), Mondelez India, says, “As concerns around the spread of COVID-19 continue to increase, we realised how the 'new normal' was taking a toll on people’s lives, amidst the pandemic gloom and the monotony of the homebound life."

"#AtHomeWithOreo was another attempt to bring people together and support families by breaking them away from the tedium of isolation through an array of engaging activities. As the lockdown continues, we only aim to amplify our connect with the consumers through the campaign, and provide them avenues to keep their innovation plug sparking at all times.”

Another aspect of the campaign revolves around the themes of home recipes, home games and home art. Having carved a special place in the cookie jars of Indian households, Oreo has also become an ingredient of choice in most modern recipes, creating newer eating experiences. Through this campaign, the brand is bringing forth this trend by not just posting new Oreo recipes, but also sharing user made recipes uploaded on social media platforms.

Rajdeepak Das, chief creative officer – South Asia, and managing director – India, Leo Burnett, says, “Work from home has created a major imbalance between work and home. Although we are spending more time at home, we are actually spending less time with our kids because of all the added house and office work."

"Children, on the other hand, feel that since parents are at home, they should be spending more time with them playing. With our ‘At Home With Oreo’ campaign, we want to encourage parents to consciously take time out and have some playful moments with their kids cooking, creating and playing inside their homes.”

As an extension to the home games segment, the campaign is leveraging some innovative social media trends. It has introduced the ‘Make Way for Play' challenge, which will feature a sequence of playful activities with Oreo depicted in a relatable and memorable way, urging consumers to replicate the same and create a bandwagon effect. Consumers can upload the videos, while tagging the brand page to be featured in the challenge video.

Credits

Agency: Team PoP India – Leo Burnett India and Digitas India

Creative team: Rajdeepak Das, Mayuresh Dubhashi, Mark Mcdonald, Amol Mestry, Madhura Haldipur, Prajakta Giri, Reya Reji, Rucha Rao, Sachin Pardeshi and others

Planning team: Aniruddha Khandekar, Sakshi Arora and others

Account Management: Gautam N Roy, Sabah Iqbal, Vikram Turakhia, Sherbanoo Bundeally, Upaasna Nambiar and others

Production House: Prodigious

Director (film): Pia Shah

Production House: Publicis Content

Director (film): Pooja Khemani

Producer: Meesam Raza