Mondelez International (Thailand) Co, the distributor of Oreo cookies, plans to spend 200 million baht to stimulate cookie consumption in Thailand via a collaboration with South Korea's leading girl group Blackpink in the first three months of this year.
Nattida Anuntnart, the company's marketing manager for biscuits and meals, said the company joined forces with Blackpink to launch the "Oreo X Blackpink" campaign in Thailand between January and March this year.
The campaign will be launched in seven countries in Southeast Asia and South Korea, starting with Thailand and Indonesia, she said.
The effort aims to promote Oreo cookies to Gen Z and young adults.
In line with the new campaign, the company launched a pink dark chocolate sandwich cookie in Thailand last month, along with a TV commercial featuring Blackpink.
"We know Thais are very much into K-pop culture. Thailand ranks third globally in terms of K-Pop consumption and fifth for monthly spending on K-Pop. In Southeast Asia, Thailand ranks first for spending on K-Pop," Ms Nattida said.
"We forged this collaboration to upgrade the confectionery-consumption experience and reach out to consumers, particularly the Gen Z group."
Oreo X Blackpink is Mondelez Thailand's first campaign in 2023, with more planned throughout this year, she said.
In addition to the new pink dark chocolate cookie, the company also launched limited-edition packaging of various Oreo products last month.
Tanat Anutrakulchai, the company's brand manager for Oreo and Bi-snacking, said advertisements for this campaign will be rolled out nationwide on TV, online platforms and offline media, including billboards at Siam skytrain station, starting tomorrow.
In 2023, Oreo plans to launch marketing activities to connect its brand with consumers in a creative way, he said.
"The biscuit industry in 2023 is expected to post better growth than last year as the tourism sector recovers and Covid infections moderate," said Mr Tanat.
"Consumer spending should return to normal for more people."