As part of a comprehensive update of its soup business, the Campbell Company of Canada has revamped its ready-to-serve line of products with new labels, a reformulation of heritage brands such as Classic Chicken Noodle (the company’s biggest seller), and the introduction of new varieties including Homestyle Rustic Lentil, Creamy Tomato and Italian Wedding.
Moya Brown, senior director of marketing at Campbell, said the new ready-to-serve labels, which employ bright colours and informal all-caps lettering, are intended to be more contemporary while also emphasizing the products’ family-friendly appeal.
“The number one objective is breaking through and being very distinct at shelf-level and having the consumer be able to either very quickly find the variety they’re looking for, or discover a new variety,” said Brown.
The name of each soup is accompanied by an artistic rendering of its key ingredient, such as a chicken on its Classic Chicken Noodle and a tomato for Creamy Tomato Soup (one notable exception, Italian Wedding Soup, features a rendering of a wedding cake).
The label redesign was overseen by brand agency Schawk working in tandem with Campbell’s global design team.
Brown said that eye-tracking research on the labels confirmed they resonated with consumers. The goal, she said, is to help Campbell’s products stand out in a crowded marketplace. The company is first overall in the wet soup category, commanding more than 70% of the market share.
Campbell’s has condensed its soup business from eight brands to three: the ready-to-serve line boasting what Brown described as “all-family appeal”; the recently introduced Everyday Gourmet line appealing to more adventurous eaters; and its Chunky line – which has a male personality even though consumption is split almost evenly between sexes.
As part of the revamp, several sub-brands, including Campbell’s Créations, V8 Soups and Gardennay, have been folded into the Everyday Gourmet line, with some varieties eliminated entirely and new varieties added.
“It got very unclear to customers and retailers, so we’ve really refocused,” said Brown. “When we did that we took the opportunity to improve the taste and refresh the labels.” The refresh of the soup business impacted as many as 50 SKUs, she said.
One of the key additions to the Everyday Gourmet line is Creamy Thai Chicken & Rice, a variation on the Campbell’s Verve Wicked Thai that Brown said was immensely popular with customers in its Food Service division.
Campbell’s is supporting the launch of the Everyday Gourmet line with digital advertising and in-store sampling. The target customer is “food adventurers” 40 and over, who seek out interesting flavours.
TV advertising from BBDO Toronto is supporting the revamped ready-to-serve line. The creative approach is that while homemade is the gold standard for soup, Campbell’s is providing some stiff competition.
