OREO x Reese’s: How Gen Z Brought America’s Best Selling Cookie and Candy Together

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and OREOs are two of America’s most iconic sweet treats, and fans have been mixing the two flavours together for years. So this summer, the brands have listened to the people and united to create two new products that combine the best of both worlds.

Marketing leaders from both brands tell LBB that it’s a confectionary collaboration borne directly from consumer insights on social media, and designed with gen z in mind.

“Our data shows that over 268 million total views from user-generated content across social videos showed authentic demand for Reese’s-OREO content,” says Dan Mohnshine, vice president, US, of confection marketing at The Hershey Company (which owns Reese’s). “We knew we had to create something unprecedented that would blow minds and taste buds everywhere.”

Fans may be aware of the candy and cookie companies’ previous partnership in 2014, where OREO launched the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Cookies. But this time around, they’re “really upping-the-ante”, says Michelle Deignan, vice president of marketing and general manager for OREO at Mondelēz International.

This has involved developing two products: the OREO Reese’s Cookie, a signature chocolate cookie sandwich filled with Reese’s peanut butter creme and OREO crumbs, and the Reese’s OREO Cup, a milk chocolate and white creme peanut butter cup with OREO crumbs.

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“This latest creation represents the OREO brand's ongoing commitment to pushing the boundaries of flavour innovation while rewarding fans with the flavours they love, and a partnership they’ve been begging for,” says Michelle.

“We knew we wanted to get it right for our fans and ensure that both brands were represented,” adds Dan. “The bar was high but after working together, we developed two products that brought our visions to life.”

This collaboration has been brewing for some time behind the scenes, and was an opportunity to bring two of the sector’s most beloved and well-known flavours together – an “exciting challenge” that the two teams embraced. “Both brands have distinct, beloved identities that hold a special place in the hearts (and taste buds) of fans worldwide, so it was essential for us to ensure this collaboration lived up to their high expectations,” says Michelle.

“The process of blending these two iconic tastes while preserving the integrity of each brand’s unique flavour profile required a great deal of care, innovation and collaboration. Every step of the way, we focused on striking the perfect balance - capturing Reese’s signature peanut buttery creme and our OREO cookie crumbs. We know fans are going to love them, and I couldn’t be prouder of what we’ve created together.”

Dan adds that bringing together the USA’s #1 cookie and #1 candy is no small feat, “especially as this is the largest launch yet for Reese’s.”

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“As two powerhouse brands that put fandom at the centre, we were excited to bring these two products to life,” he continues. “At its core, our collaboration focused on retaining the signature and beloved taste and textures of Reese’s and OREO to create an incredible bite, giving fans what they asked for.”

The marketing campaign ahead of the products’ launch, spearheaded by the line 'You Asked For It' and a complementary orange-blue colour scheme, involves teases on both of the brands' social channels. This strategy was specifically aimed at the gen z consumers who had inspired the collaboration through their UGC in the first place.

“Gen z lives online so we knew our campaign had to start there,” Dan explains. “We teased the collab with playful social interactions between Reese’s and OREO, tapped into snackfluencers and created buzz before the official reveal. This digital-first approach kept fans engaged and drove massive anticipation.”

This playfulness is something that Michelle identifies as a key component of OREO’s marketing approach too. “We continuously push ourselves to be bolder and get more provocatively playful with everything we do - and what could be more playful than teasing this iconic launch on social?”

She adds, “We want to meet our fans where they are, and for gen z, we knew that was online. This approach really helped us cut through the noise, build brand buzz, drive sales and engage with both sets of fans in an authentic, unexpected way.”

Going forward, Dan reveals that The Hershey Company is investing in 360-degree marketing efforts across all channels – from digital and social to broadcast and retail – for the collaboration. “This includes a joint creative campaign, a robust in-store merchandising programme, and a permanent place for this product in our innovation lineup.” He says that this ‘reinforces the brand’s commitment to deliberating sustained market impact and consumer excitement’.

“In addition to our collaborative marketing plan,” adds Michelle, “the OREO Reese's Cookies will be available nationwide starting September 2025, and will be returning to shelves as part of the OREO brand’s portfolio in January 2026.”

In the meantime, the new Reese’s OREO Cup will be available for presale on The Hershey's Store from August 18th, before also rolling out at retailers nationwide in September, becoming the latest permanent edition to the Reese’s portfolio.