Let's talk about fortune cookies. You know, those crunchy envelopes of wisdom that somehow predict your future and tell you to believe in yourself—right before you spend the next hour wondering why you ordered an extra side of lo mein.
But here’s the kicker: fortune cookies are also one of the greatest ad vehicles in the world.
Yep, the tiny strip of paper in your cookie is one of the most-effective (and least known!), full-funnel marketing tactics, blending the personal engagement of experiential marketing with the scalability of OOH.
Unlike traditional outdoor ads or one-off experiential activations, which are often bound by location, time, and limited population, fortune cookie ads deliver your brand’s message directly into consumers' hands when they least expect it, creating a surprise and delight moment that drives recall and action.
Now, before you roll your eyes, hear me out. These little cookies can work their magic across the entire marketing funnel, from getting your brand noticed to converting people into customers.
Don’t believe me? Let’s crack this baby open.
Fortune Cookie Advertising as a Broad Awareness Tool
Walk with me here. You’ve just finished a great meal, feeling satisfied and relaxed, with just enough room for the fortune cookie. You crack it open and get your nugget of cryptic wisdom along with a perfectly crafted brand message. It’s unexpected, and because of that, it sticks, literally and emotionally.
People often hold onto these slips, tucking them into their wallets or sticking them on the fridge. Now that emotional connection isn’t just with the fortune, but with your brand.
While billboards and other OOH methods often suffer from ad blindness and overexposure, fortune cookie ads hit at the perfect moment—when people are relaxed, engaged, sharing their fortune with family and friends, and open to a surprise. This 'surprise and delight' moment is exactly why OpenFortune’s fortune cookie ads boast an impressive 62% unaided brand recall, compared to just 41% for billboards.
Unlike other ads that interrupt content, like TV or radio, fortune cookie ads are integrated seamlessly into the dining experience. There’s no disruption—just a clever, well-timed message that people actually want to read. And it works. With 25% of consumers seeking more information after seeing the ad and 33% discussing it at the table, these interactions lead to deeper brand engagement.
Just look at BetterHelp. They partnered with OpenFortune to generate mass awareness around their online therapy services and encourage people to match with a licensed therapist.
By placing their message in over 1 million cookies around the Chicago area, they surprised and delighted consumers at exactly the right time. The emotional context (a nice meal, good mood) coupled with the unexpected brand message brought about an unaided recall of 68% with 6% sharing their fortunes organically on social.
Driving Consideration with Fortune Cookie Advertising
But fortune cookie ads aren’t just for grabbing attention—they play a key role in driving consideration and engagement in the middle of the funnel. They’re a force multiplier for your existing organic marketing efforts, deepening the customer journey and getting people to take action.
Check the numbers. 6% of people who receive a fortune cookie ad share it on social media, (compared to just 2% for billboards). This creates additional organic exposure and buzz around your brand. And when it comes to engagement, fortune cookie ads drive 78 QR code scans for every 100 scans a billboard produces, which only garners 22.
This makes fortune cookie ads highly effective in nurturing curiosity and encouraging deeper interaction, like looking up your brand or scanning a QR code. In fact, these ads lead to 8x more searches per QR scan, further pushing consumers down the funnel and helping turn interest into consideration. By blending surprise with direct engagement, they offer a subtle, non-intrusive way to strengthen the connection between your brand and potential customers.
Just look at Zelle. They began their partnership with OpenFortune to drive awareness around the fact that ‘Zelle is in your banking app.’
And with consumers constantly bombarded with financial services ads, their marketing team deemed fortune cookies as the right way to cut through the noise.
After teaming up with OpenFortune to distribute 1.5 million cookies worldwide they saw 84% unaided recall and a 21% increase in Google searches. This led to a multi-year partnership to keep the good times rolling.
Conversion: Using Fortune Cookie Advertising to Drive Action
Fortune cookie ads aren’t just about delivering a fun surprise—they’re incredibly effective at driving action. Picture this: you crack open a fortune cookie, scan a QR code, and boom—you’re on a landing page with an exclusive offer. It’s simple, direct, and gets results.
What really sets fortune cookie ads apart is their ability to reach people when they’re in a relaxed, positive state. That’s why over 33% of people indicated they started a conversation about the brand they saw on their fortune. Can you say the same thing about that bus shelter ad or billboard on the highway?
Brands like Jockey have taken this a step further, evolving fortune cookie advertising into a full-funnel strategy. They run two types of campaigns side by side—one focused on brand equity, just a nod and a wink, no hard sell. The other is all about driving conversions, with clear calls to action like QR codes or promo offers.
By splitting their efforts this way, Jockey ensures that most tables—where the average party size is 2.7 diners—get a mix of both messages. This means someone at the table gets a fun, brand-building moment, while another gets the push to act. It’s a 1-2 punch that seamlessly balances awareness and action.
Fortune Cookie Advertising: An Evergreen Part of Your OOH Marketing Mix
The beauty of fortune cookie advertising is its versatility. It’s not just a one-off stunt—it’s an evergreen tactic that fits perfectly into your long-term marketing mix. Whether you want to increase brand awareness, promote a new product vertical, or nurture customers through the funnel, fortune cookies offer a unique way to reach people when they’re most open to your message.
What makes them so powerful is the personal connection they create. People don’t just see the message—they experience it. From the moment of surprise when they crack open the cookie to the lasting impression they carry with them (literally, as many keep the slips), your brand becomes part of a memorable moment. And because it’s non-intrusive, this form of advertising cuts through the clutter of other ads vying for attention.
It’s more than just awareness—it’s engagement, brand recall, and action, all wrapped into one.
Crack Open the Future of Advertising
