This year, the food industry celebrated a significant milestone – the 100th birthday of the famous Oreo cookie. Since 1912, Oreos, originally a knockoff of Hydrox biscuits, have become the best-selling cookie in the United States; over 362 billion have been sold since they were first released. Over the past century, the detail on the chocolate disks has changed slightly, but the Oreo has remained unaltered since it was introduced to the public.

To commemorate its centennial anniversary, Kraft Foods, the distributor of the Oreo, launched a major nationwide promotional campaign which involved a consumer on-pack offer. A limited-edition, custom Oreo 100th Birthday Cookie Jar was chosen as the premium item to be distributed. According to a company spokesperson who worked on the campaign, the cookie jar made sense from a promotional standpoint, and the lid design also reinforced the core equity of the brand.

The offer was placed on 16 million packages across the country and, as of this writing, actual redemptions were still being calculated. By mid-October, 69,000 jars had been distributed.

Have a milestone you’d like to promote? Contact your distributor partner for ideas and products that will make the celebration last longer than a one-day event. Like the Oreo cookie jar, your logo on a special promo item will be a pleasant reminder to customers who will want to hold onto it as a keepsake for years.