Oreo Cookie!
Who doesn’t love an Oreo cookie? Whether enjoyed plain or with milk, the Nabisco treat is loved by millions world-wide. Introduced in 1912, Oreo is available in over 100 countries and has been the best-selling cookie globally.
The Fair Lawn Bakery
For those in Bergen County, NJ, the iconic bakery in Fair Lawn, which first opened in 1958, is a familiar sight. Everyone loved baking day, as the warm smell of delicious cookies permeated the area and gave everyone driving on Route 208 a nice aromatic treat passing by the large factory, a source of pride for the local community.
When Mondelez International announced in 2020 that the factory was outdated and would be closing, everyone was sad and more than a little upset. Despite consumer boycotts and involvement from many local elected officials, the closing was to be. Over 600 employees lost their jobs, and the future plans for the site have not been made fully public by the new owner. Although one would hope the iconic building will be saved, the likelihood that this 50+ year-old structure built in a different era will be preserved is small.
Struggle to Capture the Iconic Location
When the closing was announced, I decided to capture the essence of the building as an homage to its history, its ‘landmark’ status in Bergen County, and for the hundreds of people who toiled there making and packaging cookies day and night over the years.
It didn’t take long to realize that the building itself was not picturesque. A quick online search for photos of the building confirmed my thinking. It struck me that the most notable aspect of the building was the Nabisco lettering at the building’s apex. Day or night, those NABISCO letters stood as a navigational beacon for all.
Camera in hand, I journeyed out one good weather day in November 2020 to do my shoot. While I liked the pictures, and took many from different angles, optimizing the sunlight for each, I was still stymied on how best to represent the building. I went one night and shot some with the full moon behind the building and also many other perspectives, but nothing really did justice to the location.
Finally, the Image!
Studying the images, I began to focus more and more on the lettering itself, the essence of the brand and site. And then it hit me - THE COOKIE - the answer is the famous cookie, the linkage to the brand and of course this iconic location.
After much trial and error, with painstaking attention to avoid altering the lettering unnaturally, being sure to capture all of its essence and imperfections, and doing my best to honor the Oreo itself, I finally arrived at the result you see. I hope you like it as much as you like the cookies!
Now, in October 2022, that the iconic lettering has been removed from the still-standing building, I’m hopeful that this artwork takes on meaning and is a positive contribution to the nostalgia for this location.
This image is available for purchase in the store.
