I want to host a "guess the year" game, too! (1 Viewer)

[Yerichu]

Spoiler

Also I’d be curious how the war ruined their prospects originally in their early days. Maybe I’ll hunt for articles about Oreos during ww1

Popular I'm assuming since during the war , advertisements were used as propaganda to show support towards the war, why not show support for a cookie?

 

[Ahsoka]

Popular I'm assuming since during the war , advertisements were used as propaganda to show support towards the war, why not show support for a cookie?

The issue arises with rations and whatnot. Likely less farming was done in the USA in general for foods (particularly towards the end of the war, once men who were the standard for farming were sent abroad to fight) and in many wars people can only get a certain amount of various products (sugar being a notable one). I’ll do a bit of digging and get back to you with better stats because I’m not positive about how much of this affected the US, who weren’t fighting until 1917.

 

[Ahsoka]

Popular I'm assuming since during the war , advertisements were used as propaganda to show support towards the war, why not show support for a cookie?

Okay update, only one source so far (and skimmed a second) but both seem reputable. Rationing has been done in the past, but it sounds like that because the US joined WW1 late, it didn’t reach the point where rationing was a legal requirement. There was propaganda saying use x instead of y (ex. use syrup instead of sugar) and don’t overeat but there were not firm laws in place requiring you to listen (unlike what you see in WW2 for example). I don’t know the sweetener used in Oreos now or then, so they probably did fine (not sure when their popularity peaked, if it was from the start or later on). So yeah, sounds like their debut date wasn’t too unlucky, if it happened right before WW2 I wouldn’t be surprised if it made business tank soon after creation.

 

[Yerichu]

Okay update, only one source so far (and skimmed a second) but both seem reputable. Rationing has been done in the past, but it sounds like that because the US joined WW1 late, it didn’t reach the point where rationing was a legal requirement. There was propaganda saying use x instead of y (ex. use syrup instead of sugar) and don’t overeat but there were not firm laws in place requiring you to listen (unlike what you see in WW2 for example). I don’t know the sweetener used in Oreos now or then, so they probably did fine (not sure when their popularity peaked, if it was from the start or later on). So yeah, sounds like their debut date wasn’t too unlucky, if it happened right before WW2 I wouldn’t be surprised if it made business tank soon after creation.

Otherwise we wouldnt have the famous Oreo that we do today, but either way I think they did fine