The Triple Double Oreo: Delicious Indulgence and Nostalgic Delight

Another product on the MMNPL radar is a new snack from Nabisco.

As if the Double Stuf Oreos are not tasty enough, in August, Nabisco launched what may be their most indulgent Oreo ever – the Triple Double. With one layer of original crème stuffing and one layer of chocolate stuffing sandwiched between three cookie wafers, the Triple Double delivers deliciousness with 100 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per cookie.

A creative new entrant to the Oreo family, the Triple Double seems to have the appropriate qualities of a popular consumer trend that is currently taking the U.S. by storm: Multi-layered foods have been the center of some other recent launches, like Taco Bell’s Triple Steak Burrito and Trident Layers Gum. The 2011 Sweet and Snacks Expo also reported that candy with dual layers and multiple-flavor profiles in one bite were two of the top candy trends this year. Food that is designed in multiples may not appeal to the health conscious, but instead may attract those looking for a small indulgence with 100 calories (two other trends from last year, which we saw in the annual Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey).

To support the Triple Double launch, Nabisco called on the “Double Stuf Racing League,” a dream team comprised of celebrity athletes Shaquille O’Neal, Eli Manning, Venus Williams and Apolo Ohno. In 2008, the DSRL took part in TV advertisements for the Double Stuf Oreo, where they competed to achieve the fastest Oreo-eating time. Now, the DSRL Team is returning for the Triple Double. Fans can expect more twist-and-lick racing as TV ads air this month, with the challenging twist offering up the slogan: “Are You Game?”

“Now that I am retired I can spend more time perfecting my twist, lick and dunk skills, and with an added layer of creme and a third cookie, it’s clear that I am going to need the practice,” said O’Neal.

As part of an online campaign, Oreo has also launched a series of games via their company website. Participating fans will have the chance to win a trip to attend a sports event and have a meet-and-greet with one of the DSRL team members.

The use of famous athletes may help to counter negative perceptions of a fatty indulgence like the Triple Double, or it may simply coincide with the recent competitive eating interest generated by food-challenge reality shows, like Man vs. Food. Will the Triple Double be a slam-dunk for Nabisco? Only time will tell.

Gatorade G2: A low calorie hydrator

By Maria Garcia

Schneider Associates

Faced with the steady decline in sales of carbonated drinks, Pepsi Co is looking to make a splash with Gatorade G2, the brand’s biggest product launch in six years. G2, a new low-calorie version of Gatorade, is being marketed as an “off-the-field hydrator,” designed for athletes to drink when they’re not training or competing.

The launch is being supported by a massive integrated marketing campaign, as Pepsi hopes to make an impression amongst the hundreds of beverages that launch yearly in the US.  Besides a prominent television ad campaign, G2 is also being promoted with print advertising, digital components, retail, sampling and cause-marketing efforts.

G2 was announced in early September 2007, but didn’t hit stores until early 2008. Fifteen-second teaser ads showing unknown pairs of legs walking through a city that slowly morphs into a baseball field and a basketball court, started appearing in December.

The full length ads, created by Element 79 Partners in Chicago, debuted during Super Bowl XLII. The agency explains that the ads are meant to show that many times the game extends beyond the field and into a sports player’s everyday life. The spots reveal that the legs in the teasers actually belong to Miami Heat’s Dwayne Wade and New York Yankees’ Derek Jeter, who appeared saying “The next game begins when the last one ends.”

The ads are part of a larger marketing effort launching G2 and will also include spots starring Peyton Manning and Maria Sharapova.  Here’s the ad Gatorade will used to launch G2 during the Super Bowl:

Gatorade has actually tried to sell a low-calorie drink before, Gatorade Light, which failed to gain an audience when it launched in 1990.

With today’s consumers looking for more drink options, do you think G2 will succeed where Gatorade Light failed?