• by David Goetzl  @dgoetzl, May 9, 2006

Kraft's Oreos just completed a two-part product placement on The WB's "7th Heaven." But the real winner wasn't the famous cookie. Instead, it was the dairy farmers of America--and it probably didn't cost them a cent.

For decades, Oreo marketers have happily linked their crème-filled sandwiches with the decidedly--at least until the Got Milk? mustaches--humdrum white fluid. Then, in the last couple of years, Oreo brand stewards have taken it to another level by launching the ongoing "Milk's Favorite Cookie" campaign, updating its "Ice cold milk and an Oreo cookie" jingle and placing the "Got Milk" logo on Oreo packages.

In the product placement--where Oreos played a central role in the two-part episode (example: one of the characters proposed by placing the ring inside one of the cookies)--Oreos were never visible without a glass of milk to dunk them in. Time and again, characters were seen with a glass of milk in one hand and an Oreo in the other. And when they turned rhapsodic about Oreos, they were quick to mention that they are best enjoyed with milk. Oreos put together the multi-part brand integration and took milk along for the ride.

Take the April 24 episode (evaluated and ranked via research firm iTVX as one of the five most effective product placements last week), the second half of the two-parter starring Oreos. At one point, lead character Eric Camden (played by Stephen Collins) welcomes a visitor, who marvels at the bag of Oreos on the counter. Camden offers some of the cookies, with the quick follow-up question whether he'd like milk as well. "Oh yea," the man responds enthusiastically. "Gotta have the milk." Camden agrees fervently.

Later, as Simon (David Gallagher) is about to make a surprise proposal to Rose (Sarah Thompson) he makes a reference to the seemingly unbreakable link between Oreos and milk. "You're a twist and dunk, right," he asks, referencing how she consumes Oreos with milk. After she says yes, he has the perfect opening to give her a cookie, which she twists to find a glowing ring.

Oreos also ran billboards during both episodes (the first ran April 17) with the pro-milk message: "7th Heaven is brought to you in part by: Oreo, Milk's Favorite Cookie."

The product placement may have worked for Oreos, although it ran the risk of overexposure and over-commercialization with repeated product placements, Oreos in the dialogue and as part of several plot lines, and billboards during commercial breaks. But dairy farmers and milk marketers probably got more bang for their buck. Actually, something for nothing, since Oreos' millions made their product a constant presence on both episodes. That's not a bad ROI.