South Korea's risque Oreo breast-feeding ad: Genius?
A leaked advertisement is provoking controversy with its unusual combination of a baby, a beloved cookie, and a prominently bare nipple

The image: The celebrations for Oreo's 100th birthday are off to an improbably R-rated start. A leaked advertisement for Oreos in South Korea, which quickly whirled around the internet, features a baby holding an Oreo while feeding from a shapely breast. (See the NSFW image below.) The caption reads, "Milk's favorite cookie," and the ad was titled "Oreo Basic Instinct" by its creator, the advertising firm Cheil Worldwide. Kraft, Oreo's parent company, says that the ad was meant for an advertising forum in South Korea, and never intended for wide release.
The reaction: This "provocative ad is spectacular," says Elie Ayrouth at FoodBeast, but who is the target audience, exactly? "Pregnant women? Horny snack junkies? Super advanced grocery decision-making infants?" Regardless, it's clear breastfeeding in South Korea isn't the "brouhaha-inducing Big Deal" it is over here, says Neetzan Zimmerman at Gawker. And the ad gets its point across: When you have milk, you have to have an Oreo. "But isn't there something kind of… icky… about the way this ad blatantly sexualizes breastfeeding?" says Kavita Varma-White at MSNBC. The ad was undoubtedly created by "a guy, or a group of them — sitting around thinking, 'How can we make a cookie look sexy?' Cookies. Milk. Kids. Breast milk. Boobs!" Judge for yourself:
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Cytomegalovirus can cause permanent birth defects
The Explainer The virus can show no symptoms in adults
-
Summer in Seattle: Outdoor dining like nowhere else
Feature Featuring a patio with a waterfront view, a beer garden, and more
-
Ari Aster revisits the pandemic, Adam Sandler tees off again and Lamb Chop gets an origin story in July movies
the week recommends The month's film releases include 'Eddington,' 'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'Shari & Lamb Chop'