NORTHFIELD, Ill. -- Kraft Foods Inc.'s Oreo cookie brand created a controversy when it posted the image of an Oreo cookie stuffed with rainbow-colored layers of frosting on its Facebook page Monday evening with the caption "Proudly support love!" to support gay pride.
Hundreds of thousands people have "liked" the image, tens of thousands have shared it and tens of thousands have commented on it, reported ABC News.
But while many of the comments were supportive, some Facebook users pledged to boycott the cookie because of the post.
Basil Maglaris, a spokesperson for Oreo's parent company Kraft Foods, said in a statement that the image was part of a "series of daily ads reflecting current events in a fun way using images of OREO cookies and milk." Kraft is not planning to sell the rainbow-stuffed Oreo in stores, Maglaris said, as it was created solely for the advertising campaign in honor of gay pride month.
"We are excited to illustrate what is making history today in a fun and playful way," she said. "As a company, Kraft Foods has a proud history of celebrating diversity and inclusiveness. We feel the Oreo ad is a fun reflection of our values."
With 2011 revenue of $54.4 billion, Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods is a global snacks company with a portfolio of biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery product and convenient meal brands in approximately 170 countries; 12 of the company's brands--Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, Oreo, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia, Tang and Trident--generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually.
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