The Great Rip-Off Turns 100!
On Tuesday, the Oreo cookie turns 100 years old. The first Oreo was introduced to America on March 6, 1912.
One would think that Oreo has been so successful because it was an original idea: a white, creamy filling between two chocolate wafers.
But Oreo is actually a rip-off. The original cookie with a white, creamy filling between two chocolate wafers was called the Hydrox.
Hydrox made its debut in 1908, some four years before the Oreo. It was finally pulled from production in 1999 after a 91 year run on the cookie market. It simply could no longer compete with its younger carbon copy.
I remember Hydrox cookies. We used to have them at our house all the time -- I'm sure it was because they were less expensive than Oreos. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two. Until, of course, Oreo introduced the "Double-Stuf"
So why did Hydrox fade away while Oreo's popularity exploded?
My best guess is advertising muscle. Hydrox was produced by Sunshine. Oreo is a product of Nabisco. David versus Goliath. In which case, Goliath steals David's idea and smashes him with it.
But I think the name has a bit to do with it too. Oreo sounds yummy. Hydrox sounds like a weight loss supplement. Oh, the power of words.
So happy birthday to, perhaps, the biggest (and most successful) rip-off artist of the last century: Nabisco's
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| The Oreo cookie |
One would think that Oreo has been so successful because it was an original idea: a white, creamy filling between two chocolate wafers.
But Oreo is actually a rip-off. The original cookie with a white, creamy filling between two chocolate wafers was called the Hydrox.
 |
| The Hydrox cookie |
Hydrox made its debut in 1908, some four years before the Oreo. It was finally pulled from production in 1999 after a 91 year run on the cookie market. It simply could no longer compete with its younger carbon copy.
I remember Hydrox cookies. We used to have them at our house all the time -- I'm sure it was because they were less expensive than Oreos. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the two. Until, of course, Oreo introduced the "Double-Stuf"
 |
| The Oreo Double Stuf. Making American kids fat twice as fast since 1975. |
So why did Hydrox fade away while Oreo's popularity exploded?
My best guess is advertising muscle. Hydrox was produced by Sunshine. Oreo is a product of Nabisco. David versus Goliath. In which case, Goliath steals David's idea and smashes him with it.
But I think the name has a bit to do with it too. Oreo sounds yummy. Hydrox sounds like a weight loss supplement. Oh, the power of words.
So happy birthday to, perhaps, the biggest (and most successful) rip-off artist of the last century: Nabisco's
