How OREO turned cookies into cheat codes

(and won the internet)

May 31, 2025

In partnership with

Hello, awesome marketers and founders.
This is Luv, and here’s your weekly Marketing Shot :)

A big thank you and welcome to the people who have recently subscribed.

We are now 2,590 members strong.

Prevent coupon abuse, protect your profits

KeepCart: Coupon Protection partners with D2C brands like Quince, Blueland, Vessi and more to stop/monitor coupon leaks to sites/extensions like Honey, CapitalOne, RetailMeNot, and more to boost your DTC margins

Overpaid commissions to affiliates and influencers add up fast - Get rid of the headache and revenue losses with KeepCart.

When was the last time a biscuit made you feel like a gamer?

In 2021, OREO did something wild. They took a much-loved childhood trick “cheat codes” and turned it into a full-blown marketing campaign with Xbox.

OREO launched six special edition cookies across Europe, each embossed with symbols from the Xbox controller (think A, B, X, Y, arrows, and even the Xbox logo).

But these weren’t just pretty biscuits. When placed in the right sequence and scanned through a dedicated app, they unlocked actual cheat codes.

Players could win an Xbox Series S, Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions, headsets, and even exclusive in-game content for Halo Infinite, Sea of Thieves, and Forza Horizon 5.

Now here’s where it got smart.

OREO didn’t just create a campaign. They created a system. A cookie-based code system that people had to interact with. You had to play with the product. Scan. Try a combination. See if you’ve unlocked something. If not, try again.

The cookies became both the product and the playground.

Gamers loved it. The excitement started building on social media even before the cookies hit stores. People were tweeting, posting, and even ordering them from countries where the campaign wasn’t even running.

And then came the hacks.

Fans were so eager, they started cracking the code.

Tutorials popped up on YouTube.

People were selling unlocked skins on eBay.

Some even tried breaking into the system. OREO had to start rotating the codes every 20 minutes to keep things under control.

Madness? Maybe. But that’s what happens when your campaign actually works.

Run ads IRL with AdQuick

With AdQuick, you can now easily plan, deploy and measure campaigns just as easily as digital ads, making them a no-brainer to add to your team’s toolbox.

You can learn more at www.AdQuick.com

Did you enjoy today's Marketing Shot? ☺️

Login or Subscribe to participate in polls.

Modernize your marketing with AdQuick

AdQuick unlocks the benefits of Out Of Home (OOH) advertising in a way no one else has. Approaching the problem with eyes to performance, created for marketers with the engineering excellence you’ve come to expect for the internet.

Marketers agree OOH is one of the best ways for building brand awareness, reaching new customers, and reinforcing your brand message. It’s just been difficult to scale. But with AdQuick, you can easily plan, deploy and measure campaigns just as easily as digital ads, making them a no-brainer to add to your team’s toolbox.

That's a wrap for today! Stay tuned for the next edition.

Thanks,
Luv