Oreo Thins Uses Incognito Mode To Stop Kids From Stealing

OK, that's it. The next time I buy a pack of Oreos I'm hiding them from the kids.

How many of us have uttered those words, or similar, when we discover an empty pack of our beloved Oreo cookies in the pantry? Come on, admit it. You've created elaborate schemes to protect your precious treat from the tiny fingers of thieving children. Rather than booby-trapping their packages, Oreo Thins' marketing team came up with a brilliant solution: Hide them in plain sight.

The Brilliant Hide-In-Plain-Sight Solution

Oreo designed these co-branded packages through a strategic partnership with Ford, Hanes, Green Giant, and Better Homes & Gardens. The idea was simple, the execution… freaking brilliant.

Co-branded packaging, hidden in plain sight, so the kids wouldn't give them a second look. Imagine opening the freezer to find Green Giants' Cauliflower Medley. No kid in their right mind would touch that.

Oreo is releasing these limited edition wrapped packages into the wild to trick kids and keep their parental stash safe.

The four packages are designed to look like a pack of Hanes white t-shirts, a Ford owner's manual, some Green Giant frozen veggies, and of course, a cookbook, designed to sit in the plainest of plain sights.

How It All Came Together

According to Oreo brand manager Sydney Kranzmann, parents have been complaining about kids jacking their Oreo stash for ages. So, they decided to choose brand partners that targeted the same demographic as Oreo Thins — the millennial parent.

Of course, Oreo made a bunch to give away for free (just look at all the PR they are getting for it, including this blog, duh!). They made 3,000 of these cleverly designed packages to hide in plain sight and are giving them away.

To get one, all you have to do is post your Oreo Thins hiding spots on Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #THINSProtectionProgram. Oh yeah, if free Oreo Thins isn't enough incentive for you, everyone who shares their hiding spot will be entered in a contest to pick up $25,000! You can buy LOTS of Oreo Thins with that kind of dough.

What This Means For Your Small Business

As a small business owner, you might be saying to yourself, "Yeah, but I am not Oreo. I don't get to co-brand with Ford or Green Giant."

You're right, you don't. But there are countless small business opportunities to co-brand or partner up with businesses all around you. For us, the marriage between Ad Zombies and No Limit Creatives is a no-brainer. For a pizza shop owner, it might be the ice cream shop a few doors down. If you own a clothing boutique, you could partner with a hairstylist, a shoe store, or a jewelry shop.

You need to think outside the box and look around at those businesses you'd love to partner with. Once you find them the ask is easy and oftentimes you'll be greeted with an enthusiastic YES!