How Oreo Got That Twitter Ad Up So Fast

“Power out? No problem.”

When the stadium went black during Sunday’s Super Bowl, Oreo pulled off a social slam-“dunk in the dark” with a quick-thinking Twitter ad that made the company out to be one smart cookie. The sudden Super Bowl blackout during the most-watched TV event of the year only inspired Oreo’s bright idea that showed how the rapid response of social media can be even more powerful than a multimillion-dollar ad campaign. Buzzfeed.com explained how the company’s well-timed Oreo tweet was a shot in the dark that got glowing results.

The first secret behind the success of the Oreo ad was the quick wit and immediate execution of their advertising agency 360i. The second was their savvy use of Twitter and the real-time nature of tweets that makes it an ideal social media platform for such unplanned instances. Together, their marketing team leveraged both the opportunity and the social channel to create an ad that has since been retweeted more than 14,000 times to provide Oreo with the kind of free viral advertising that all companies crave.

“We had a mission control set up at our office with the brand and 360i, and when the blackout happened, the team looked at it as an opportunity,” explained agency president Sarah Hofstetter. “Because the brand team was there, it was easy to get approvals and get it up in minutes.”

According to the Brand Builder blog, this on-the-spot Twitter ad was only possible due to Oreo hiring the right people, to act at the right time, on the right channels, and with the right level of trust to give their advertising agency control of their social media efforts.

Unfortunately, too many companies try to micromanage their marketing teams or entrust their social media presence to unqualified staff. Instead, brands need to hire capable marketing specialists who understand the brand and are skilled at social media marketing, and then let them do their jobs. Only then can brands achieve the kind of effective brand management and savvy content development that let Oreo turn a blackout into a white-hot success.

To incorporate Twitter into your digital marketing strategy, contact MDG.

MDG, with offices in Boca Raton and New York, NY, is a full-service advertising agency and one of Florida’s top digital marketing companies. MDG specializes in developing integrated marketing solutions, exceptional creative executions, and solid branding and media-buying strategies that give clients a competitive advantage. Our core capabilities include print advertising, branding, logo design, creative, digital marketing, media planning and buying, radio and TV advertising, Web design and development, email marketing, social media marketing, and SEO. View MDG’s creative marketing portfolio.

Read more at Buzzfeed.com.