OREO Celebrates and Salutes Shaquille O'Neal's Slam-Dunk Career

EAST HANOVER, N.J., June 8, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- After 19 years of an exceptional professional basketball career under his belt, on June 1, the one and only Shaquille O'Neal announced to his fans first via the social media site "Tout.com," that he's packing up his size 23 basketball shoes and bidding professional basketball farewell. The OREO brand congratulates O'Neal, a truly global basketball icon, who won championships, broke records and brought smiles to millions of fans around the world.

Aside from his years spent on the court, he has also made a name for himself as a rapper, actor, police officer and most recently, a member of the OREO Double Stuf Racing League.  OREO is proud to count O'Neal, recognized by basketball fans around the world for his larger-than-life presence both on and off the court, as one of the co-stars of the OREO Double Stuf Racing League campaign.

"The OREO team would like to congratulate Shaquille on an incredible basketball career," said Eva Press, Director of Marketing for OREO, Kraft Foods. "We're thrilled that he's brought his dunking skills to Team DSRL and are excited that he will continue to bring friends and family together in his 'second sport' of OREO lick racing."

POST-RETIREMENT TRIPLE DOUBLE

During O'Neal's career, the term "triple-double" was known to most as a performance in which a basketball player accounted for double-digit numbers in any three statistical categories such as points, assists, steals, blocks or rebounds, in a single game. But soon after his retirement from basketball, the OREO Double Stuf Racing League is bringing a whole new meaning to the term with the introduction of the new Triple Double OREO cookie.

Just like O'Neal, this game-changing cookie stands above the rest, combining two layers of OREO creme, one chocolate and one vanilla, with three layers of crunchy, chocolaty OREO cookies. While this new variety is not slated to hit stores nationwide until August, in celebration of Shaquille's 19-year career, OREO will auction one package of the yet-to-be-released Triple Double OREO cookies, autographed by Shaquille O'Neal, on eBay. The winning bidder will receive a case of the new cookies to enjoy, as well.  All proceeds from the auction will be donated to the Boys & Girls Club of Newark in O'Neal's honor.

"It is certainly a bittersweet crossroads in my life," O'Neal said. "But leave it to OREO to make sure I still have a team I can (twist, lick and) dunk with."

It is easy to honor Shaquille and show your support of his charity.  Simply visit www.ebay.com/oreoandshaq today and enter your bid in this one-time-only autographed Triple Double OREO cookie auction.  Bidding closes on June 17 at 4 p.m. PST - visit www.ebay.com/oreoandshaq for full details.

The League Lives On

The OREO Double Stuf Racing League (DSRL) officially launched in January 2008 with O'Neal joining in 2010. It's a fun activity that family and friends can enjoy together, in which people race to see who can finish an OREO Double Stuf cookie and glass of milk the fastest. Each person twists their cookie open and licks off all the creme.  Then, each person shows their cookie to their opponent, dunks it, eats it and drinks the glass of milk.  The first to finish twisting, licking and dunking wins!

For more information on the OREO Double Stuf Racing League (DSRL), visit www.DSRL.com or "Like" us at www.facebook.com/OREO.

ABOUT KRAFT FOODS

Northfield, Ill.-based Kraft Foods Inc. (NYSE: KFT) is a global snacks powerhouse with an unrivaled portfolio of brands people love.  Proudly marketing delicious biscuits, confectionery, beverages, cheese, grocery products and convenient meals in approximately 170 countries, Kraft Foods had 2010 revenue of $49.2 billion, more than half of which was earned outside North America.  Eleven of the company's iconic brands -- including Cadbury, Jacobs, Kraft, LU, Maxwell House, Milka, Nabisco, OREO, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia and Trident -- generate revenue of more than $1 billion annually, and 40 have been loved for more than a century.  A leader in innovation, marketing, health & wellness and sustainability, Kraft Foods is a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average, Standard & Poor's 500, Dow Jones Sustainability Index and Ethibel Sustainability Index.  For more information, visit www.kraftfoodscompany.com and www.facebook.com/kraftfoodscorporate.

SOURCE Kraft Foods Inc.