Oreo Turns Crosswalks Into Shoppable Experiences

In a playful twist on retail media, Mondelez International’s Oreo and VML have launched “Oreo Walks,” transforming crosswalks outside select Kroger stores into immersive, shoppable experiences. 

The campaign is designed to reach shoppers before they even enter the store, blending creative out-of-home (OOH) with direct purchase activation.

Passersby in Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio, encounter illustrated character faces appearing to munch on stacks of Oreo cookies integrated into the black-and-white lines of the crosswalk. Shoppers can scan a QR code embedded in the artwork or visit oreo.com/oreowalks to access a special offer redeemable in-store.

"We know shoppers don't always head to the cookie aisle, so we brought Oreo cookies to them, right at the entrance,” Carly Kerlakian, director of omnichannel activation, Mondelez International, said in a media release. “It's a great reminder that creativity doesn't just build awareness, it drives purchase." 

By linking the creative execution directly to an offer, the campaign aims to convert curiosity into action, merging awareness and conversion at the point of intent. While this isn’t traditional digital retail media, it shows how brands are evolving retail media into experiential, shoppable channels, meeting shoppers and influencing purchase behavior outside the aisle.

VML said the illustrations build on Oreo’s consistent design evolution over the past four years. “The characters are executed with a minimalist charm and graphic discipline that stays true to the brand's black-and-white visual identity,” per the release.

Participating Kroger stores are located in Columbus (Plain City) and Cincinnati (Hyde Park, Harpers Point, Mason and Maineville).

This article first appeared on the site of sister publication P2PI.