Kraft brand Oreo has rolled out an image of a rainbow, multi-layered cookie to support gay pride, resulting in a wave of both consumer backlash and support for the brand.
Oreo took to its American-based international Facebook page on 25 June to post the image, complete with the caption "Proudly support love!". It aimed to form part of New York's annual Gay Pride Parade which started on 24 June.
Fans have since heralded the brand as being "amazing", "wonderful" and "awesome", with one user commenting: "Love is love. And we love you Oreo, for supporting love in all its forms!". Another commented: "I love this, thank you Oreo. I truly think this is a step in the right direction."
Hordes of fans have also pledged to buy Oreos because of the ad, deeming it as "marketing genius", and that they "will never eat another type of cookie again".
However, some users have deplored the brand's new ad, using biblical references, swearing and derogatory gay terms to express their disgust. "You gay people make me sick. God made us to be man and woman not gay or lesbian", commented one user.
Other comments to be posted include: "Yet another liberal company destroying our religious values and teaching immorality"; and "This is absolutely disgusting. Your attempt to normalize the behaviour of homosexuals has cost you a customer".
One user even went as far as to say: "Gays can all go kill themselves, they are sinners and will burn in hell!", with others claiming: "I'll stick to black and white. Fuck gay Oreos"; and "Being gay is totally wrong and should be a crime".
The new ad assault is part of Oreo's current 100-year anniversary campaign, using images of oreos and milk to recreate historical moments. Prohibition, the moon landing, the launch of PacMan and the invention of the Yo-Yo are just a few that feature in the campaign. It originally launched in March 2012, and was devised by Draftfcb New York and Paris.
Despite the controversy, the ad currently has 183,958 Facebook likes while the brand's page has over 26 million fans. In total, the image has commanded over 26,728 comments, with other fans posting separately on the Facebook page to express support. It has also caused a stir in the Twittersphere, with thousands of users hashtagging #Oreo, #GayPride and #Rainbow in their tweets.
Fans should note that the rainbow cookie is not for sale.
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