Campbell's Company History
Campbell Soup Company, the world's largest soup maker, produces some of the most recognizable food and beverage brands in the world. The global reach of the company, popularly known as Campbell's, extends to more than 120 countries and includes all types of soups, sauces, snacks, baked goods, beverages and meal packages. The company's origins date back to the late 1800s in New Jersey.
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Beginnings
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In 1869, Joseph Campbell and Abraham Anderson created a company named Anderson & Campbell in Camden, New Jersey. Campbell was a fruit merchant and Anderson made iceboxes. The company used barrels transported on horse-drawn buggies to transport Campbell's soup during those early years. Approximately 30 years after the company's founding, a chemist named John T. Dorrance joined the company. He developed a commercial method for making condensed soup. This method allowed the product to be packaged in metal cans and enjoyed by consumers who would simply add water and heat it. The soup gained international recognition when it won the Gold Medallion for Excellence at the 1900 Paris Exposition. The company began featuring a gold medallion on its cans, a design element still in use today.
From Soup to Icon
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During the early 20th century, Campbell's condensed soup became so popular that the company changed its name to match the product. In 1922 it became Campbell Soup Company. The soup became a staple on American shelves and integrated into pop culture. Its iconic red and white packaging with the gold seal from made the brand instantly recognizable. The advertising tagline "M'm! M'm! Good!" was used in radio and television commercials. Commercials for its vegetable juice product featured the saying, "Wow! I could've had a V8!" In the 1960s, American Pop artist Andy Warhol depicted the Campbell's soup can in more than 100 paintings and prints. The company redesigned the soup can label in 1999.
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Social Responsibility Initiatives
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The Campbell's "Labels for Education" program is a popular community service initiative involving parents and schoolchildren in the United States. For nearly 40 years, labels collected by schools have been redeemed for academic, art, and athletic equipment. Other Campbell's service projects include the annual Stamp Out Hunger project, the world's largest single-day food drive, held in conjunction with the U.S. Postal Service for nearly 20 years. For this project, donors can leave food by their mailboxes to be picked up by letter carriers.
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Douglas R. Conant took over the leadership of Campbell's in 2001, becoming its 11th president. As of 2010, Campbell's has an $8 billion portfolio focused on three areas: baked snacks, beverages, and simple meals. Condensed soup remains its most popular product. According to company records, three of its soups remain among the top 10 items sold in grocery stores in American each week. The company's brands also include Pepperidge Farm, Prego, V8, SpaghettiOs, and Swanson chicken.
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References
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- Photo Credit vegetable soup image by lefebvre_jonathan from Fotolia.com
