OREO leverages AI in the voice of Farhan Akhtar to get through awkward situations

OREO invites people to cut through the seriousness of adulthood and rediscover the joy of playful conversations by leveraging generative AI and voice cloning AI for their latest campaign ' Say it with OREO'.

OREO has introduced special edition packs containing cookies embossed with the letters of the English alphabet. Each pack also comes with a QR code which, once scanned, will redirect the consumer to a microsite, where users can share the awkward situation they are in and get a customized audio message featuring a fun and playful answer in the voice of Farhan Akhtar. 'Say it with Oreo' is a creative way for consumers to express themselves and add a touch of humor to their experiences with OREO cookies.

Conceptualised by Leo Burnett India, this campaign leverages Generative Artificial Intelligence to generate playful answers which then goes to a voice cloning AI engine which plays back this answer in Farhan Akhtar’s voice. Farhan Akhtar who is known for his play with words and wit was a natural fit for the campaign as he truly embodies the playful spirit that the brand also carries.

The campaign kick-started with an advertisement for ‘Voice of OREO’ to which Farhan Akhtar responded, followed by a pitch by an OREO representative which was captured as a film and launched on digital media.

This was followed by the launch of 6 short videos which demonstrate the power of ‘Say It With Oreo’ platform. The campaign will also see contextual placements and content integrations across digital platforms and in-store activations.

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Speaking on the idea behind the campaign, Nitin Saini, Vice President, Marketing, Mondelez India said, “Since its launch, OREO has always tried to build stronger connections in families and in culture, through its’ ‘Stay Playful’ purpose and platform. 'Say It With Oreo' takes it a step further by inviting people to cut through the seriousness of adulthood and rediscover the joy of uninhibited, playful conversations with the help of tech. We are confident that with its unique and fresh approach this campaign will resonate with, connect, and help build levity in everyday conversation!”

Mayuresh Dubhashi, ‪Group Executive Creative Director - Leo Burnett added, “Say it With Oreo, a first of its kind campaign that lets people express what they want to, at times when they can't. Essentially a pack of words when you are at a loss of words. Using Farhan Akhtar's wit and charm, a Voice Cloning AI and ChatGPT, we've tried to create a tool for users to find playful ways to express themselves when they find themselves in awkward or weird life situations. This continues OREO's mission to make the world that bit more playful. “

“This is perhaps one of the biggest AI led campaigns of recent times, where we are making unlimited fully personalized messaging at scale a possibility. We have partnered with one of the best AI voice engines to deliver a never heard before experience for OREO – recreating Farhan Akhtar’s iconic voice to tailor personalised messages for the audiences. For this campaign we are not only production partners but truly technology and technological activation and deployment partners. This campaign is the true reflection of the integration that we can deliver under Studio POP and the Publicis Power of One model and we are very excited for the playful moments it will create for the brand” added Varun Shah, ‪Executive Vice President- Prodigious & Content Factory.

“For every unanswered or bizarre question, we choose to ignore in life, OREO has created a perfect answer. We have achieved this with a unique blend of a celebrity, generative AI, Voice cloning AI tech and power of media. Another example of how AI and tech when amplified with the right mix of media can significantly enhance our engagement with consumers at a massive scale.” Shekhar Banerjee, Chief Client Office & North and West Head at Wavemaker India