This is just for fun. Because I think it’s safe to say that all of us who are cookie lovers have had at least one OREO sometime in our lives. But I was curious to see what fans had to say when Nabisco asked what to some was a troubling question, and maybe a taste of the future…
Above a picture of the original OREO (round) and three hypothetical alternatives, the National Biscuit Company posed the following simple question: “If there was ever another OREO cookie… which are you picking?”
As of this writing, there have been almost 3,200 comments to the November 30 tweet on the official OREO twitter account. And they cover all sides of the answer. Some were amusing, some were scientific. Some were casual, others adamant.
Engineering types suggested additional shapes including the PENTEO, OCTEO, RHOMBOIDEO, and even the DODECAHEDREO.
Deep thinker plastic heart (AKA @MitatFurkanArs1) re-posted the following, suggesting simple but scrumptious reconfigurations of the original OERO:
Incurable romantics suggested shapes including DIAMONDEO and STAREO.
But some fans just wanted the most they could get, demanding, ‘the one with the largest surface area,” and “the creamiest.”
My take
From my very quick scan of the replies – and replies to the replies – it looks like the relatively boring (my opinion only!) SQUAREO has a slight lead over the other two new shape suggestions. I hope that Nabisco, if it does plan to issue a new shape, will go with something more creative and unique than their own three suggestions. It would take no greater adaptation of their baking and stuffing systems to tool-up for some of the other more intriguing fan-suggested shapes.
I personally vote for the DODECAHEDREO. That’s a 12-sided shape that would, in one fell swoop, maximize the area within the outline for icing and pay homage to the Canadian $1 Dollar coin.
Coincidentally, the Canadian Dollar coin is nicknamed the ‘Looney’ because it features an engraving of a certain water bird on its back. And ‘looney’ may well be the best word to describe Nabisco’s Twitter stunt.
But if they do plan to introduce a new shape of OREO, it’ll be a pleasant diversion from the bewildering avalanche of ‘new’ flavours they’ve been rolling out the past few years. As a long-time observer of the food industry, I’d recommend they choose half a dozen of their best-selling ‘new’ flavours and bring them back as limited-time special offerings at a conservative frequency of, say, three per year. OREO fans deserve a chance to catch their breath.
~ Maggie J.