keLner 1

Oreos through Time

Sports have a large impact on the United States, and commercials that involve the use oI
sports intrigue viewers due to the Iact that sports are present in our everyday liIe. Because oI
this, Nabisco uses a Iamous sports Iamily, the Manning Brothers, to create a successIul sales
pitch Ior their product, the Oreo Cookie. Today, the Double StuI Racing League (DSRL) has
taken over Nabisco`s Oreo Cookie campaign. Football`s leading men, Peyton and Eli Manning,
tag-team with one another in various Oreo Cookie commercials that are shown nationwide. It is
through these commercials, that the audience realizes the importance oI having a Iamily. Nabisco
has hidden this importance in their commercial, because it is a message that they have always
portrayed with an Oreo cookie. Years ago, when television and commercials did not exist,
Nabisco used newspaper ads to display their Iamilial message. However, instead oI using a
sports competition, Nabisco used a simple, traditional advertisement that displayed a picture oI
the Oreo along with the 'ingredients oI the cookie. Even though this may seem like a basic ad
when compared with the commercials oI today, this style appealed to Iamilies during that time
period. Through this evolution oI time, we can see how Nabisco has been able to sell the same
product and the same message to the same audience using various Iorms oI media.
At the beginning oI the DSRL
commercial, the Manning brothers arrive in a
press room to make the announcement that they
will begin to play a second sport and join the
'League oI the Future. BeIore explaining this
new league to the media, the reactions oI their parents are shown; one in disappointment, the
other in support oI their decision. The commercial continues on to show the brothers competing
in a 'licking competition, to see who can lick the creme oII the Oreo the Iastest. As the
keLner 2


competition ends, Eli turns to Peyton asking iI they had 'made a mistake, to which the camera
then pans to an empty stadium. Peyton responds to his brother with a serious answer 'No, we`re
making history. To conclude, their parents are shown sitting in the stands with the same
reactions as during the press conIerence although this time they are sitting with the DSRL
mascot.
At Iirst, the message represented in the commercial is that by eating Oreo cookies, one
will become cool just like Peyton and Eli Manning. But iI the time is taken to realize the hidden
message, one can realize that Nabisco is promoting Iamily values and the importance oI Iamily
togetherness. The Manning Iamily demonstrates this principle very well in the Iact that despite
the sons` decision to not play Iootball anymore, the parents are there to support their decision, no
matter how much they dislike it. Not only
is this commercial able to promote the
importance oI a Iamily, it is also able to
target Iamilies as their primary customers
into buying Oreos. The children watching
the commercials will be encouraged to
want to have a licking competition with their siblings
or parents. ThereIore, the parents will most likely buy
the product Ior their Iamily and Nabisco`s sales pitch
will have been successIul.
The reason Nabisco is able to use the DSRL to
promote Oreos so well is because it appeals to people
in three ways: reasoning, credibility, and emotions.
keLner 3


The reasoning shown in the commercial is that iI the Manning brothers would be willing to quit
playing Iootball to join this new league, then this new league must be worth joining. They
encourage you to join their league by visiting their website and buying their cookies. This
commercial is seen as credible and a reliable product to purchase because oI the use oI the
Manning brothers. Almost everyone in the United States is Iamiliar with the Manning brothers,
and just the Iact that they are supporting this product inIluences customers to buy Oreos. In Iact,
the DSRL states this in their purpose oI the league by saying, 'This was the perIect opportunity
to make the DSRL part oI the popular vernacular through multi-channel communications, and
the use oI celebrity athletes, using siblings to Iurther reinIorce Iamily togetherness and Iun
(Oreo). It is clearly stated that they intended to use celebrity athletes (and siblings) to promote
Iamily importance. Lastly, the commercial appeals to its audiences emotions. They are able to
see how exciting the new league is by the intensity oI the licking competition. Also, Peyton puts
down any doubt people may have oI joining the league by stating 'we are making history
(Double Stuf). II people know they are going to be a part oI history, they will want to join.
Together, all oI these modern inIluences appeal to the consumer and encourage them to buy the
product.
In contrast, the print advertisement shows the ingredients included in the making oI an
Oreo. The Iine print describes how Nabisco uses its ingredients, included in the picture, to create
a 'chocolate-y, crisp-to-the-bite cookie (For Those Who Think Young). When looking at the
advertisement, Nabisco clearly states the Iamily importance that revolves around its cookies. The
advertisement explains that 'whatever kinds oI cookies your Iamily likes, Nabisco bakes them
better (For Those Who Think Young). The advertisement is plain and simple while using words
to connect to its audience. The delectable treats grab the audience`s attention with their
keLner 4


appetizing appeal. Comprised oI Iour ingredients, each individual item comes together to create
the Oreo cookie. This concept can be applied to the importance oI Iamily because it is like Iour
people that come together as a Iamily.
To conclude, Nabisco has successIully been able to sell Oreos to their Iamily audience
over the past several years. Since the 1960s, they have appealed to audiences through sports and
other traditional methods. Using Iamous Iamily celebrities, such as the Manning`s along with
simple language and appetizing Ioods, Nabisco has been able to allure customers through the
evolution oI time. Whether it is using modern commercials or old-time images, Nabisco has been
able to display the importance oI Iamily togetherness. As they continue to create new products,
their Iamilial message will continue to be portrayed as newer Iorms oI media are created.
keLner 3



Works Cited
uouble SLuf 8aclng League ?ou1ube oo1obe 8tooJcost ootself Web 13 SepL 2011
hLLp//wwwyouLubecom/waLch?vCkahvxrvy1g
lor 1hose Who 1hlnk ?oung Web log posL AIox All lotpose 8loq 8logSpoL nov 2009 Web 31
Aug 2011 hLLp//a[axallpurposeblogspoLcom/2009/11/forLhosewhoLhlnk
younghLml
Oteo uooble 5tof kocloq leoqoe 8ep Web 31 Aug 2011
hLLp//wwwpmallnkorg/resource/resmgr/pdf/oreodsrlpdf