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These Oreo cookies are meant for left-handed snackers

Oreo's new twist on packaging for International Left Handers Day caters to southpaws

Amanda Kooser
Freelance writer Amanda C. Kooser covers gadgets and tech news with a twist for CNET. When not wallowing in weird gear and iPad apps for cats, she can be found tinkering with her 1956 DeSoto.
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Amanda Kooser
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Lift with your left.

 Oreo

Oreo has come up with a new counter-clockwise twist in honor of International Left Handers Day on Aug. 13. The iconic creme-filled chocolate sandwich cookies are now available in a left-handed version designed to appeal to Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Barack Obama and other lefties.

Oreo trumpeted the introduction of the cookies Monday in a series of messages on social media, where it encouraged lefties to "put down the right-handed scissors and get your own limited-edition pack."

The big joke here is that the cookies look the same as usual, but Oreo put some special effort into the packaging. 

Normal Oreo packages open on the left, so a right-handed person grabs the tab and opens it to the right. The left-handed cookies come in a package with a tab on the right, making it a little easier on lefties. Of course, you could just turn the package around and open it any way you want, but that's not nearly as amusing.

Lefties and righties

Oreo dropped a Twitter line to the official The Simpsons account and asked if Flanders would sell left-handed Oreo cookies at The Leftorium. If you need a refresher, the famously left-handed Ned Flanders ran a shop catering to lefties.

Oreo is actually selling packages of the cookies for $3, but will only ship to the US, so lefties in other parts of the world will have be content struggling with the regular Oreo packs. 

Twitter users chimed in on the marketing stunt. "Stores better stock up on left-handed milk!" wrote milk-promotion account WholesomeMilk.

Twitter user Greg Bowne said, "I have trouble getting left-handed water glasses, hamburgers, pretzels, croissants, you name it. Thanks @Oreo for treating lefties with dignity!"

A least one Twitter user admitted to buying a left-handed package of cookies despite being right-handed. Apparently Oreo isn't requiring proof of leftiness to sell you its special cookies.

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