Innovation Spotlight: Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends

Welcome to Innovation Spotlight! Each month we’ll spotlight a brand that’s capitalizing on a current consumer trend with a new product innovation.

This month we researched Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends, a limited-time collaboration between OREO and Marvel that’s out this month. Read on to get our analysis of the product's in-market potential, the audiences it appeals to, as well as what you can learn from it to innovate smarter.

Everyone’s favorite Marvel characters and milk’s favorite cookie have come together in a sweet partnership! Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends cookies are part of a limited-edition collaboration between OREO and Marvel that brings superheroes to the classic sandwich cookie. 

The cookies feature:

• 32 unique embossed designs drawn from across Marvel franchises like the Avengers, Spider-Man, X-Men and Fantastic Four — the most embossments OREO has ever released in one collection.

• Four collectible package designs illustrated by Marvel artist Todd Nauck that reinforce the comic-book aesthetic.

• OREO’s first color-changing crème, which shifts from gray to blue when licked or exposed to milk (but it’s still the same classic flavor!).

• A limited-time retail launch earlier this month with presales that began in late January and additional digital/interactive elements tied to the packs.

Together, these features transform the familiar OREO cookie into an interactive, collectible pop-culture experience.

Matt Foley, Vice President at OREO, said this of the launch: "OREO cookies and Marvel's epic Super Heroes share something powerful: the ability to spark joy, inspire connection and create moments that resonate with fans. This collaboration takes the iconicity of both brands and channels it into an experience where fans are not just spectators, but participants encouraged to immerse themselves in Super Hero-inspired play through the lens of OREO cookies."

There’s a lot of interesting things in this partnership. Naturally there’s the CPG tie-in with entertainment IP that we see a lot, particularly in products targeted to children. But Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends does more than that. 

It adds an element of collectibility and scarcity that can appeal to adults as well. With 32 cookie designs, four pack designs and limited-edition timing, the launch uses collectible mechanics that are common in fandom culture to drive repeat purchase and buzz.

There’s also the color-changing crème, which is new for OREO and could add some surprise and interest into the mix. 

This is positioned as OREO’s largest special-edition drop ever! How does this blockbuster-style launch resonate with consumers? Let’s find out!

1. A focus on product innovation keeps an iconic brand fresh and relevant: Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends isn’t just putting Marvel characters on traditional OREO packaging, it’s much bigger than that. 32 unique characters embossed on the cookies, color changing crème and some interactive components help the 100+ year old brand stay fresh by demonstrating real product innovation and cultural relevance, which is typical for products sitting in the “seed and grow” quadrant of our innovation matrix. 

2. Collaborations need to effectively highlight both brands: OREO and Marvel both have iconic and identifiable brands — and a collaboration of the two needs to quickly convey both without one getting lost — which this new product did through an effective use of distinctive brand assets (DBAs). In this case, the prominent (and immediately recognizable) OREO cookie in the middle of the packaging with OREO’s traditional blue color helps to immediately call the OREO brand to mind, while all the vibrant-colored Marvel characters stand out. It was very clear to our respondents that this product was a collaboration between the two brands. 

3. Ultimately, nothing tops the original: An incredible 70% of people said they would likely purchase original OREOs, and only 14% said they likely wouldn’t purchase. OREOs are extremely well-loved and many people are willing to try this new product because it’s intriguing to them, but they’d probably still pick the original OREO they’ve been eating since childhood when given the choice. But that’s ok, because these types of limited-time launches can remind people of regular OREOs and lead them to purchase those instead — ultimately driving purchases for the brand.

Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends scores in the top 20% of food innovations in the US on breakthrough potential and in the top 50% on trial potential. 

Sitting in the “seed and grow” section of our potential quadrant means the limited edition cookies are generally appealing to consumers, but they appeal to some people more than others. Innovations of existing brands that sit in “seed and grow” help keep the brand in the news and keep it fresh, they don’t always drive a significant amount of new sales. That appears to be the objective of this limited edition OREO launch, so well done, OREO!

Let’s unpack more about why this innovation scores this way.

We use two key measures to determine breakthrough potential:

1. How different a product is (distinctiveness)

2. How superior a product is compared to what’s already available in market (advantage)

Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends are seen as in line with the average US food innovation in distinctiveness (Distinctiveness T2B: 74.9% vs 70.8% norm). 

But some groups see it as more distinctive than others, particularly older adults, men and early adopters in the sweet baked snacks category.  

Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends also scores in line with US food innovations for advantage (Advantage T2B: 54.9% vs. 53.6%), but again we see several groups see it as more advantageous than others — specifically early adopters and those who buy sweet baked treats every 2-3 weeks.

All of this makes sense. People are accustomed to seeing familiar characters on food products — particularly snacks and cereals targeted to children with characters from Bluey, Frozen, Cars, Spongebob Squarepants, K-Pop Demon Hunters, etc. — so it’s not seen as overly distinctive or advantageous to the average person. 

But those who are most familiar with the category have a better understanding of why this product stands out.

Roughly 6 out of 10 people say they would buy Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends if available at a reasonable price, which is on par with the average for US food innovations (Unpriced Purchase Likelihood T2B: 62.6% vs. 61.3% norm). Men are more likely to consider purchasing than women and older consumers (46 and older) are more likely to consider purchasing than younger consumers, but all in line with the norm. 

Those who shop the category at least once every 2-3 weeks and early adopters have significantly higher purchase likelihood (71% and 89%, respectively). 

Again, this makes sense. The people most familiar with the category and who shop the category most often are more likely to recognize how these cookies stand out — and are more likely to want to try them the next time they’re buying cookies.

Overall, Marvel OREO Stuf of Legends are seen as significantly more fun, unique and innovative than the average food innovation! That’s important because OREO uses its limited-edition products not just to drive scarcity and encourage people to buy now, but also to keep the brand fresh. 

We imagine that with the inclusion of color changing crème with this new product, the brand wanted to show that while the original OREO is always around, the OREO brand will continue to innovate. And it appears it has accomplished that!

When we asked what people liked about the idea, four main themes emerged: 

1. Strong appeal of the Marvel collaboration

Not surprisingly, the tie-in with Marvel characters, movies and heroes is the biggest draw. Fans enjoy seeing their favorite characters on the cookies and packaging, and many say it makes the product feel fun and collectible.

People said things like: 

• “I like how many different varieties there are. And I like the Marvel characters being put onto the actual cookie itself.”

• “I am a huge fan of Marvel and so are my kids.”

• “I like that they are Marvel themed — that makes them more fun.”

• “I like that it's original tasting OREOs with different Marvel designs. My family loves Marvel.”

2. New product features

The color-changing crème stands out as a key point of curiosity, although it is slightly polarizing for people. Some are intrigued and definitely want to try it, while some are concerned about what the crème could be made of to make it change colors.  

The idea of multiple character designs on the cookies themselves adds collectability and playfulness as well. 

Overall, consumers describe the concept as unique, creative and different from typical OREOs.

People said things like: 

• “I love that there are 32 unique characters. My kids would love this and seeing what characters were in each pack.”

• “I like that they have Marvel characters on them and color changing crème making them fun to eat.”

• “The color changing crème! That's totally cool and different!”

3. Eye-catching packaging and design

Many comments highlight the bright, themed packaging and embossed cookie designs as visually appealing and attention-grabbing. The themed presentation helps the cookies feel special or limited edition.

People said things like: 

• “I like the design and the colorful pictures on the packaging.”

• “I absolutely liked the theme of the package, it's so attractive.”

• “I like that the cookies have a carving of a Marvel character on it. I think that would make the eating experience very fun. This is great for Marvel fans.”

4. Trusted OREO taste and quality

A large share of responses simply reinforce love for classic OREO flavor, texture and filling. The Marvel theme works because it builds on an already well-loved brand.

People said things like: 

• “I love OREOs!”

• “I like that they’re made by OREO.”

• “I love the new concept in OREOs, can’t wait to try”

When we asked about what other OREO products they would be likely to buy, the original OREO came out on top with an incredible 70% of people saying they would buy compared to only 14% who said they wouldn’t buy!

It’s a good reminder that while limited-time OREO products help keep the product top-of-mind for consumers and reinforce the brand’s innovation, it works because they love the original OREO!

The work that OREO does to regularly release new products serves to keep people talking about OREO and helps the brand avoid becoming stale (in a cultural sense, not a product freshness sense!). But nothing beats an original OREO cookie, and these releases can often serve to remind people how much they love the brand and get them to buy original OREOs more often. We certainly saw a lot of love for the brand in our research!

OREO cookies have been around for over 100 years and they’re still incredibly loved today. But a brand doesn’t stay around for that long without regular innovation, and this was a fun one that’s driving buzz for the brand this year. 

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