Why is Campbell’s Soup changing its name after 102 years?
“Cambell’s Soup is dead, long live Campbell’s” cries the herald after a huge branding change for one of history’s iconic products.
Campbell Soup Company, a household name made famous by Andy Warhol’s eye-popping work, has announced it is moving to drop “Soup” from its title, the name of the company since 1922.
Mark Clouse, chief executive, said the move was at attempt to break into more markets by better representing the company in 2024; is not solely based around soup.
“We will always love soup, and we’ll never take our eye off of this critical business,” Clouse said during the company’s investor day on Tuesday. “But today, we’re so much more than soup.”
Investors will vote on the name change at its general meeting in November.
A brief history of the famous soup
The company was founded in 1869 by Joseph A. Campbell, a fruit merchant, and Abraham Anderson, an icebox manufacturer. They initially produced canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments, and minced meats.
In 1897, Dr. John T. Dorrance, a chemist and nephew of the company’s president, invented condensed soup. The famous red and white label was introduced in 1898, inspired by the Cornell University football team’s uniforms. The design has remained largely unchanged since then, becoming one of the most recognisable brand images in the world.
Campbell’s Soup became deeply ingrained in American culture, featured in Andy Warhol’s famous pop art series in 1962.