'Oreogate' on Instagram went viral. But was it all a fake ad for an AI company?
A viral Instagram drama known as 'Oreogate' involves a series of videos about a parent complaining about cookies in school lunches. The series is revealed to be a marketing campaign for the AI music app Suno, raising questions about the authenticity of viral social media content.
Why it matters
It illustrates the blurring lines between organic social media trends and stealth marketing campaigns powered by generative AI.
Oreogate is about a mom asking other parents not to send Oreos to school. Kevin Carter/Getty Images "Oreogate" is the latest mom group chat drama over sending kids to lunch with an Oreo. The series of viral videos is actually a piece of marketing for Suno, an AI music app. But was the story itself even real? We may never know. The situation is relatable to anyone who has been in a parent WhatsApp chat: one person says something ridiculous, and everyone else has to react with varying degrees of politeness or directness. Side chats ensue, tensions start to boil. Oreogate is a series of viral Instagram posts from user @ashleighjamz about a fight over kindergarteners bringing Oreos for lunch in a classroom group chat, and it hits that exact nerve. Over 13 videos (so far), the saga unfolds.
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