Rebranding Oreo: from mass-market to a premium minimalism
As a brand designer, I often find myself imagining how familiar products could evolve if they were designed with a completely different set of values — slower, more intentional, more emotionally resonant. One day, while having tea and quietly enjoying an OREO, I wondered:
What if OREO wasn’t a playful, mass-market snack — but instead, a modern, premium product designed for calm moments, minimal homes, and slow living?
This thought led to a full creative exploration: a complete rebrand of OREO with a new identity, color palette, typography, and visual universe. The goal wasn’t to strip away its heritage, but to elevate its essence — to imagine OREO as if it lived on the shelves of concept stores and design-conscious cafés rather than supermarket aisles.
Repositioning the Brand: From Fun to Stillness
The original OREO brand is joyful, playful, and centered around indulgence and nostalgia. In my version, I shifted the narrative toward something quieter and more refined.
I imagined OREO not as a loud, colorful cookie for children — but as a premium treat for adults who appreciate detail, mood, and materials. A product you pair with tea in the afternoon, enjoy during a moment of solitude, or gift in a carefully wrapped box.
This repositioning naturally changed everything: the colors, the packaging, the language, and even the photography direction.
The New Color Palette: Cocoa, Cream, and Warm Gold
Color was a key component of this rebrand. I based the new palette on the natural materials and flavors within the cookie itself, along with tones that evoke comfort and sophistication:
Deep cocoa brown – representing the rich, earthy biscuit
Soft vanilla cream – echoing the smooth filling
Matte black accents – adding depth and contrast
Warm beige and blush pink – bringing softness and human warmth
Subtle golden foil – a refined detail used sparingly for logo accents or embossed elements
These colors feel premium, grounded, and timeless. They move OREO into the world of high-end packaging design, where everything is tactile and considered.
Typography & Logotype: Modern Serif with a Human Touch
For the logotype, I designed a modern serif wordmark that feels elegant and timeless. I moved away from the bubbly, rounded style of the classic OREO logo and opted for a clean, editorial typeface with high contrast — inspired by luxury skincare, boutique cafés, and slow lifestyle brands.
This serif is both classic and contemporary, giving the brand a voice that’s mature, confident, and refined. It pairs well with light sans-serif body text, used minimally throughout the brand.
Packaging: Minimal, Tactile, and Giftable
The new packaging was inspired by brands like Aesop, Le Labo, and independent tea houses in Kyoto and Copenhagen. It’s simple, matte, and beautiful to hold.
There are no product photos on the box. No food styling. No bright colors. Instead, the focus is on paper texture, balance, and negative space. A small embossed logomark sits centered. Inside, the cookies are individually wrapped in compostable paper, reinforcing the feeling of care and ritual.
This isn’t a package designed to scream from a shelf. It’s designed to live quietly on your kitchen counter, next to your favorite ceramics and linen towels.
Art Direction: Cozy Rituals Over Commercial Staging
In terms of photography and content direction, I wanted to remove the commercial, high-saturation look associated with traditional food brands. Instead, I imagined OREO Reserve as something that appears in warm, natural settings — a wooden table, a ceramic tea set, morning light falling softly over linen.
Cookies are shown next to brewed tea, books, candles, and cozy home elements. The lifestyle is quiet, thoughtful, and slow — with color grading that leans warm and grainy, almost filmic. This repositions the product as part of a daily ritual, not just a snack.
Naming the Concept: OREO Reserve
To reinforce the new positioning, I gave the brand a refined sub-label: OREO Reserve. The word “Reserve” brings associations of rarity, craftsmanship, and intention — commonly used in wine, chocolate, and premium goods. It communicates that this version of OREO is special, designed for mindful enjoyment.
It’s still OREO — but quieter, slower, and far more grown-up.
Target Audience: The Modern Minimalist
This version of OREO is designed for a different kind of consumer — people who appreciate slow living, minimalist interiors, and calm design. Think creatives, young professionals, wellness enthusiasts, and people who light candles before they open a book.
They care about the visual language of their home, what’s on their shelves, and what they consume. They seek products that blend into their lifestyle, not disrupt it.
Final Thoughts: Why Rebrand an Icon?
Rebranding an icon like OREO isn’t about saying the original is wrong — it’s about showing how design language can completely shift perception. With just a few changes — color, typography, tone, and art direction — we can take something fun and nostalgic and turn it into something calm, intentional, and premium.
OREO Reserve is my personal vision of how design can create space for quiet, softness, and slowness — even in the most unexpected products.
