Kraft comes out to support gay pride with Oreo ad on Facebook, causes controversy

Kraft has started a new ad campaign for the Oreo cookie, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, on the cookie’s official Facebook page. One ad posted on Monday shows support for gay pride and has sparked instant controversy, with many commenters claiming that they will never buy Oreos again, while others have created a petition to make the cookie a reality.

The ad on Facebook shows an Oreo stuffed with layers of rainbow-colored cream and features a simple phrase saying “Pride.” Kraft also attached a caption that reads “Proudly support love!”

Since it was posted, it has garnered over 216,000 likes, 65,000 shares and over 35,000 comments. While most are supportive, some commenters have declared that they will never buy Oreos again.

Basil Maglaris, a spokeswoman for Kraft, said in a statement that the image is part of a “series of daily ads reflecting current events in a fun way using images of OREO cookies and milk,” according to ABC News, adding that they have no intention of selling a cookie like this. In fact, on Tuesday, the campaign continued with an image that showed a paw print inside the cream and read, “Pint-Sized Star Makes His Mark.”

“We are excited to illustrate what is making history today in a fun and playful way,” she added in an email to ABC News. “As a company, Kraft Foods has a proud history of celebrating diversity and inclusiveness. We feel the OREO ad is a fun reflection of our values.”

Some gay rights supporters have created a Change.org petition, hoping that Kraft would actually sell the cookie, which also “looks DELICIOUS,” according to its author. The petition has now earned over 1,300 signatures.

image: Facebook/Kraft