Santa never forgets who bit into his cookie.
OREO has released "Santa’s Favorite Cookie," marking what the brand calls its first new holiday TV spot in five years.
No Notes, the creative content studio founded by comedian and actor Colin Jost, developed the creative.
Per the comedian, the idea behind the spot was to create a holiday cookie ad with a twist.
"We pitched the idea to the OREO brand, and they immediately wanted to figure out how to make it," Jost added.
Matt Foley, VP of OREO at Mondelēz International, described the approach as the brand putting its signature playful twist on the familiar tradition, "with humor and a little mischief."
Mondelēz moved global OREO creative to 72andSunny in May after a competitive review that also included Martin, Ogilvy, and Leo.
Martin had made earlier OREO holiday spots, including 2016’s "Believe in Santa" and a 2019 elf ad.
OREO says the campaign aims to bring the brand into the holiday conversation, encourage sharing, and push its place in seasonal traditions.
In short, the goal is to establish proper brand positioning, inviting shoppers to see OREO as the cookie Santa expects.
Santa Bites Back at Four Gifts
The 30-second ad starts with the dad sneaking in a bite of the OREO before leaving it on the table for Santa.
Santa answers by leaving bite marks on Dad’s stocking, golf driver, snowboard, and TV.
The ad closes on a softer note, with the holiday icon enjoying an OREO cookie and milk at the North Pole.
OREO plans to run the spot across Amazon and streaming partners, Meta, TikTok, Pinterest, Snapchat, YouTube, connected TV, and OREO-owned channels.
Merchant and Good Company handled the production while Dentsu led social.
Mondelēz North America Volume Held Flat in Q3
Mondelēz’s annual net revenue climbed from $25.93 billion in 2018 to $38.53 billion in 2025, according to MarketBeat’s compilation of the company’s annual financials.
More recently, Mondelēz’s North America organic revenue rose 1.6% in the third quarter of 2026, with volume and mix flat, according to Food Business News.
Biscuits and baked snacks grew 2.2% organically company-wide, per TradingKey.
OREO now has a new global agency and a studio that won a seasonal spot on its own pitch, which leaves three lessons for agencies chasing CPG work.
Bring One Scene to the Pitch
Agencies should show a client a single image they can picture.
No Notes arrived with a dad, a cookie, and four bitten gifts.
Look for Seasonal Gaps Between Assignments
Teams should check which calendar moments sit outside a new agency of record’s remit.
OREO’s first holiday spot in five years came months after its global creative moved to 72andSunny.
Name Every Partner by Job
Marketers should split credit across idea, production and social.
OREO’s spot lists No Notes, Merchant and Good Company, and Dentsu in separate roles.
A direct pitch from a celebrity-founded studio gave OREO a holiday spot months after a roster overhaul.
Our Take: Who Writes the Joke at Your Agency?
A global agency of record builds platforms, and platforms aren't necessarily known for cracking good jokes.
This spot's story came from a studio founded by a comedian.
We think that is the real lesson for agencies chasing CPG work.
Keep someone in the room who can make a client laugh during the pitch.
A marketing team can brief a holiday spot for months, but it takes a writer to come up with the idea of a dad pissing off Santa.
Our hunch? Agencies that put comedy writers next to their strategists will keep getting calls like this one.
Managing several agency relationships requires partners with the right expertise and a shared understanding of brand objectives.
Explore top creative agencies on DesignRush.
