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Jim Lee
UWRT 1100-100
Miss Jamie L. Burgess
December 2, 2014
Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies: Beyond the Smile
The universal law of growth is dictated via the following statement: what is a giant was
once a dwarf. This does not pertain to fantasy or fiction but points out a metaphorical meaning.
Before money and fame had struck the individual, he required the time to invest in his skills
and/or products. For example, O.D. McKee faced difficult times when the Great Depression was
at its peak. Accordingly, through the years O.D. McKee perfected his Oatmeal Creme Pies and
achieved a breakthrough in what would later become the foundation of Little Debbie (Who We
Are: A Family Bakery). However, as the following analyses will expound, success includes a
greater realm than just invention/innovation and inventor/innovator; success must also stem from
advertisements. A successful advertisement will uphold its products if the following prerequisites
are satisfied: audience, appeal, and price.
All advertisements have targets - targets whom are considered the audience. Audience is
particular and should be aimed toward the appropriate crowd. In the case of Little Debbie
Oatmeal Creme Pies, the following groups were "prohibited from the consumption of certain
foods" as stated by Kosher Labeling: diabetics, allergic individuals, and select religious groups.
Located near the bottom right-hand corner of the Oatmeal Creme Pies food packaging is a
Kosher symbol (the said symbol looks similar to K D). The symbol informs the audience that
the Oatmeal Creme Pies are acceptable by Jewish laws, and the superscript "D" indicates that the
pies include dairy products (Kosher Labeling).

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The Kosher symbol is white font and may have been placed in the red information bar
because the dietician/nutritionist involved in the Oatmeal cover design intended to inform the
audience of potential health hazards. Red and white are complementary colors, which result in
words becoming visibly noticeable. The artist/designer, however, may have intended for the
Kosher symbol not to take up unnecessary space required for further advertising. The symbol
was, thus, placed on the bottom right-hand corner along with miscellaneous information (Little
Debbie).
Jean Anthelme Brillant-Savarin, a French lawyer, politician, and gastronomic enthusiast,
once quoted, "Tell me what you eat and I will tell you what you are" (Slande). An inelegant spinoff of the said quote can be associated to the phrase, "you are what you eat." Little Debbie
Oatmeal Creme Pies should then represent a food that is, above all, qualitative. Quality,
however, may be supposed. For example, if one were to inspect a handful of advertisements of
successful businesses, it would be evident that appeal has become the top priority.
On the front cover of the Oatmeal food packaging, there are three Oatmeal Creme Pies
that have been centered onto the package and clearly enlarged. The soft, oatmeal cookies have
sandwiched the white cream causing the cream to ooze out of place (Little Debbie). Given the
image of three seemingly delicious treats and their exaggerated size and fresh-out-of-the-oven
looks, it can be concluded that Little Debbie intends to entice the audience. Furthermore, the
fact that the pies have been centered will instinctively pull the audience's attention towards it.
The packaging is much more appealing and complex than what the giant pies can convey,
and as the packaging is further analyzed, it becomes increasingly obvious as to what other
elements contribute to its appeal. Consider the various elements located on the front cover: an
illustration of Little Debbie, a limited-time promotion, the quantity of the product and,

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especially, its overall usage of color. These four will directly tie into the overall appeal of the
packaging.
O.D. McKee found Little Debbie in 1960 with Oatmeal Creme Pies as its debut and the
business has since continued to flourish (Oatmeal Creme Pies). In a mathematical sense, Little
Debbie has existed for over half a century, and given the fast-paced lifestyle of today's world, it
would not be impossible for Little Debbie, much less Oatmeal Creme Pies, to be known
nationwide. Thus, by including Little Debbie and her signature onto the front cover of the
packaging it provides an appealing sense of legitimacy, quality and, ultimately, innocence (Little
Debbie).
A limited-time promotion has been featured onto the front cover of the food packaging: a
2-week road trip around the nation as the winners travel in a luxurious RV (Oatmeal Creme
Pies). Now, the promotion has been placed alongside the giant pies; therefore, the attention of
the audience has henceforth shifted towards the promotion. Then, along with the seemingly
delicious Oatmeal Creme Pies and winning an all-expense-paid road trip, the appeal of the
advertisement has skyrocketed.
An Oatmeal Creme Pies food package contains "12-individually wrapped snacks" as seen
on the red information bar in white font (Little Debbie). The audience is expected to ponder,
"there are 12-individually wrapped pies in just one box?" Keep in mind that the picture of the
three giant pies subsists in the minds of the audience and enhances the concept of quantity and
quality. As with any other production, however, quantity and quality are fairy tale-like entities
that are wished by most but never come in two. The answer reverberates throughout the
audience: Little Debbie has achieved the unachievable and attained quantity and quality.

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The usage of color being implemented onto the front cover is extraordinarily appealing a red information bar, white background, and blue labels. Coincidentally, the said colors closely
resemble that of the flag of the United States of America (Little Debbie ). Those three colors are
synonymous to trust and freedom as most Americans would consider. With such a driving
element subconsciously sweeping in the attention of the audience, it also becomes difficult to
ignore the sense of patriotism swelling from within. This unseen force influences a sharp
increase in the appeal of the Oatmeal Creme Pies.
Appeal is crucial to the success of advertisements as is the audience; however, in the
recent years, price has become the dominant factor in many sectors of life including
advertisements. The United States is experiencing an ongoing economic regression and only few
have the finances to thrive in life. In this economy a dollar or two is powerful and should not be
forsaken, and as a result, price has, indeed, become an issue in everyday life. Stores compete via
price matching, and extreme couponing has become a daily basis.
Excellent examples of cheap but affordable products can be found in Family Dollar,
Dollar General, and Dollar Tree (take note that dollar has been included in the naming of each
business). Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies are found in Family Dollar and sold for $1.79
excluding tax per package in North Carolina (Little Debbie). $1.79 per se is inexpensive and
has been clearly printed onto the top right-hand corner of the front cover in white font. The fact
that the price range is within two dollars opens an option for the audience with low finance.
Remember, a dollar or two is relatively powerful.
Innovations/inventions and innovators/inventors, themselves, are invaluable assets to
businesses. However, businesses will collapse if they refuse to continually improve their
advertisements - widening but limiting its audience, increasing its overall appeal, and adjusting

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price according to macroeconomics. Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies, for example, has a
broad yet selective audience which excludes diabetics, allergic individuals, and specific religious
groups for legal and health purposes. Its appeal transcends the obvious and enticing qualities and
has even camouflaged a subconscious message (recall the three giant pies and the usage of
color). Its economic adjustments provide the opportunity for low-funded families to experience
an affordable yet qualitative snack for $1.79 excluding tax per package. The website Who We
Are: A Family Bakery claims Little Debbie is "the No.1 brand of snack cakes." And, given such
effective means of advertising, the claim must hold true.

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Works Cited
Celeste, Slande. "Brillant-Savarin, Jean Anthelme." Internet Faq Archives (2014). Advameg, Inc.
Web. 8 Oct. 2014.
Kosher Labeling and Milk or Dairy Allergy. Kids With Food Allergies, Inc., 29 July 2012. Web.
6 Oct. 2014. <http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/resourcespre.php?id=100>
Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies. Advertisement. McKee Foods. 6 October 2014. Food
Packaging.
Oatmeal Creme Pies. Little Debbie and McKee Foods, 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.
<http://oatmealcremepies.littledebbie.com/www>
Who We Are: A Family Bakery. Little Debbie(R) and McKee Foods, 2014. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.
<http://www.littledebbie.com/www/docs/5/who-we-are>

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