Jan. 20--Oreo's latest twist on its best-selling cookie: a red velvet makeover in time for Valentine's Day.
The latest limited edition Oreos, with red cookies and cream cheese-flavored filling, are set to hit shelves in early February. The red velvet variety marks the first time Oreo has had a new cookie color since 2004, when the Golden Oreo debuted.
Red velvet cake has been around for decades. The cake is distinguished by its dark red color and often has a cream cheese icing. The flavor has gained a following in recent years in everything from cupcakes to whoopie pies.
"It's something that's classic, but I think what people have done in the last several years is reinterpret it," said Janda Lukin, senior director of Oreo North America, a unit of Deerfield-based Mondelez International.
Oreo is far from the first brand to try out the trendy flavor in a product beyond cake or cupcakes. Red velvet Peeps, candles, vodka, coffee and M have already hit stores.
With its twist on the popular flavor, Oreo is hoping to maintain its brand dominance with the country's best-selling cookie. Oreo holds a commanding lead in the cookie aisle ahead of products such as Kellogg's Keebler cookies and Mondelez's Chips Ahoy brand, according to Euromonitor International.
Oreo started working on the new cookie about 12 months ago, Lukin said.
Oreo cookies were first sold in 1912. There are now eight everyday flavors sold in the United States, and the brand typically brings out a handful of limited-time flavors each year. Last year's limited-edition flavors included Pumpkin Spice, Limeade and Marshmallow Crispy.
There was speculation in fall 2014 that Mondelez would soon sell a red velvet Oreo. But the company was not ready to confirm or discuss the launch back then, since it was still finalizing plans and knew the cookies would not hit stores for several months.
The suggested retail price for the limited-edition red velvet Oreo cookies will be $4.49, which matches the price of regular Oreos, though there will be four fewer red velvet cookies per package.
The red velvet version is set to be in U.S. stores on Feb. 2. For those wanting an early taste, Mondelez is giving away samples to more than 20,000 people who sign up at OreoRedVelvetRope.com by Jan. 22.
For now, only one production run of red velvet Oreos is planned, and they should be in stores for six to eight weeks, Lukin said.
That is how long limited edition flavors of Oreo cookies typically stay in stores, though the time depends on whether they catch on with customers.
"Sometimes they can go faster than that," Lukin said.
jwohl@tribpub.com
Twitter @jessicawohl
