ASHBURN, Va. — Before overseeing a uniform overhaul that combined the franchise’s burgundy and gold to restore an iconic look, Washington Commanders president Mark Clouse spent years shaping consumer brands — including helping develop the Reese’s Oreo in 2014.
Clouse, then an executive vice president at Mondelez International, said the Reese’s Oreo was “like lightning in a bottle,” and that he frequently served as a taster for new products. Tastings for Oreo involved groups of 15-20 people, from food scientists to marketers, and Clouse had final say on new flavors. The program kept 30 to 50 varieties in development and cycled flavors such as Nutella, Swedish Fish, red velvet and birthday cake, the latter introduced in 2012 for Oreo’s 100th anniversary.
Those product-marketing lessons informed the Commanders rebrand. Clouse said there are “rules of the road” when evolving a brand: do not change too much at once and preserve core equities. With Oreo, that meant pairing the cookie with other recognizable brands and preserving rituals like “twist, lick and dunk.” Clouse said comparable rituals exist for football fans and emphasized the need to know a brand’s “equity and your framework to operate in.”
Applying that mindset to Washington’s look, Clouse said the organization first sought to define the name it adopted in 2022 and then to create consistent visual standards, similar to Oreo’s blue packaging. The team aimed to standardize its burgundy after operating with “four or five different shades of burgundy and red,” and incorporated historical elements where possible, including a medieval spear on alternate helmets and a spear with a feather that appeared on helmets from 1965 to 1969.
Clouse said his experience managing continuous flavor innovation — and the daily visits from colleagues bringing cookie samples — shaped his approach to building long-term brand equity in Washington. He recalled that in the early days of Oreo tastings he gained 10 pounds before adjusting the tasting routine.
