A Cookie With A Mission: OREO Welcomes First "AmbassadOREO" Honorees From Around The Globe To New York City

- Hand-Picked Brand Ambassadors Convene To Support Mission Of Spreading Childlike Delight

NORTHFIELD, Illinois, Sept. 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Twenty-five special guests from eight countries will gather today in New York City to be sworn in as the first official brand ambassadors for OREO, the World's Favorite Cookie. Putting the fan in fanatic, these AmbassadOREO honorees from the U.S., China, Indonesia, Philippines, Ecuador, Colombia, Malaysia and Puerto Rico have one thing in common: they all speak the universal language of OREO. Each AmbassadOREO will be initiated, taking the first official OREO Oath vowing to help live out the brand's mission to celebrate the kid inside when they return home.

"Bringing our biggest fans together from around the world is just the twist that this global cookie needs," said Sheeba Philip, Director for OREO Global. "These AmbassadOREO honorees spread childlike delight in their communities with every Twist, Lick and Dunk. To help cap our 100th birthday, we are excited to welcome them and their families to help further the mission we've been on for more than 100 years, inspiring more carefree moments in today's hectic, fast-paced world."

Honorees will experience the delight of the Big Apple by visiting some of the city's most popular locations including the Empire State Building. After a visit to Chelsea Market, the birthplace of OREO, the group will have the unique chance to taste global cookie varieties from their fellow ambassadors' countries, such as OREO Green Tea Ice Cream from China, OREO Orange Ice Cream from Indonesia and OREO Dulce de Leche from Colombia.  

The AmbassadOREO honorees will then put their mission into immediate action by hosting a surprise cookie and milk break for unsuspecting New Yorkers in the city's Financial District at 3 p.m. EST near Broadway and Wall Street.

100th Birthday Mission

In February, OREO unveiled the Global Spirit of Childhood Report[1], which found that the spirit of childhood – that is, the chance for children and adults alike to enjoy simple, carefree moments – is increasingly hard to come by. Inspired by the results, OREO kicked off a simple worldwide mission for its 100th birthday on March 6: to celebrate the kid inside us all. After hundreds of birthday parties around the world, OREO fun and games on Facebook and other activities, the brand decided to continue the mission into 2013 and beyond looking to its most loyal fans for help.

Behind The AmbassadOREO

From an American skydiving enthusiast who said "OREO cookies have been a part of my best memories" to the self-professed OREO-loving family from China who credits their tight family bond to completing a year of childlike delight missions, millions of people of different backgrounds entered for a chance to represent their country as honorees and participate in this once-in-a-lifetime experience. AmbassadOREO honorees were chosen in unique ways by each country, such as:

• In the Philippines, a Facebook contest called on fans to submit family photos that creatively formed the number 100 with OREO cookies.
• In Ecuador, lucky consumers who found a "golden ticket" in their package of OREO cookies were entered into a raffle for the chance to represent their country in New York as an AmbassadOREO.
• In China, AmbassadOREO honorees had to earn points by completing OREO missions throughout the year. 
• In the United States, millions of OREO Facebook fans had the chance to vote for five national winners from video submissions of fans demonstrating their passion for the OREO brand.

The Party's Just Getting Started

Following the global gathering, AmbassadOREO honorees will return home equipped with the knowhow to continue to share moments of childlike delight with their communities. 

"No matter how the mission comes to life in each culture, we hope every AmbassadOREO will continue to celebrate the kid inside and share with us through the OREO Facebook page and online how they are helping others do the same," said Philip.

To learn more about the AmbassadOREO program and for additional ways to bring out the kid inside, including online games and OREO recipes, visit Oreo.com/birthday or Facebook.com/Oreo.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS
Kraft Foods Inc. (NASDAQ: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love. Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2011 revenue of $54.4 billion.  On Oct. 1, 2012, Kraft Foods Inc. will separate into two companies. Mondelēz International, Inc. will be a high-growth global snacks company with annual revenue of approximately $36 billion and several billion-dollar brands including Cadbury, Jacobs, LU, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Tang and Trident. The spin-off company, Kraft Foods Group, Inc. will be a high-margin North American grocery company with annual revenue of approximately $19 billion and billion-dollar brands including Kraft, Maxwell House, and Oscar Mayer. A leader in innovation, marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Standard & Poor's 500, NASDAQ 100, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.  Visit http://www.kraftfoodscompany.com/ and www.facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.

ABOUT OREO

OREO is the world's favorite cookie, enjoyed by families and friends in more than 100 countries around the world. As one of Kraft Foods' 12 "billion-dollar" brands, OREO is the best-selling biscuit of the 21st century with more than $2 billion in global annual revenues.  The OREO cookie twist, lick and dunk ritual has become the signature way to enjoy this iconic cookie for many different cultures around the world. OREO has a Facebook community of more than 27 million OREO lovers around the globe, representing 200+ countries and dozens of different languages. OREO ranks among the top 10 brand Facebook pages in the world.  OREO celebrated its 100th birthday on March 6, 2012.

[1] The Global Spirit of Childhood Report was a survey conducted during a six-week period between November and December of 2011.  More than 7,000 parents with children under the age of 18 participated in this study. Local surveys were conducted via online and in-person interviews in 20 countries and regions, including: Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Romania, Spain, the United Kingdom, the United States and Venezuela. Responses were given as completely agree, somewhat agree, neither agree or disagree, somewhat disagree, and completely disagree.