Who developed the modern Oreo cookie design in 1952?

William A. Turnier developed the modern Oreo cookie design in 1952.

Turnier’s redesign gave the cookie the intricate, familiar pattern seen on Oreo wafers today. The modern face incorporated the Nabisco logo and replaced the simpler wreath-centered design used on the earliest Oreo biscuits. Although the pattern may look decorative, it became one of the most recognizable visual identities in food branding.

The Oreo was first introduced by the National Biscuit Company, or Nabisco, in 1912. Its face changed over time: a new design appeared in 1924, followed by Turnier’s modern design in 1952. This history is why the original launch date and the modern design date are different facts.

Turnier is sometimes confused with Sam Porcello, another important Oreo figure. Porcello was Nabisco’s principal food scientist and worked on the cookie’s crème filling and later variations, but he was not the person credited with designing the modern embossed wafer pattern.