Campbell's
Inducted in 1994

How prophetic that Campbell's induction into the Marketing Hail of Fame occurs when its ad campaign commands, "Never Underestimate the Power of Soup" because, its own power as a brand should never be underestimated. In fact, few brands have had the power to stir up the image of wholesome American home life and values more than Campbell's. And, it's been doing so for nearly a century. As the Hall of Fame judges said, "Campbell's has transcended the soup category to become a symbol of American hearth, home and values." Decades before Warhol was disproving his own theory about 15 minutes of fame by immortalizing the brand as a cultural icon, Campbell's in its own right was making history with the invention of condensed soup. By eliminating the water, it lowered the costs for packaging, shipping and storage. A pioneer of packaged goods advertising, Campbell's consistently trumpeted its product benefits in innovative ways.

In 1904, the cherubic Campbell Kids were introduced in a series of trolley car advertisements as a way to appeal to working mothers. Soon, the first magazine print ad appeared. In the 1930s, Campbell entered into radio with the "M'm! M'm! Good!" jingle and cementing brand name recognition with broadcasts of "The Campbell Playhouse."

When television made its way into American homes in the 1950s, Campbell took center stage, sponsoring programs such as "Lassie." Search of the Campbell ad archives yields a who's who list of celebrity endorsers, including Ronald Regan and Johnny Carson, Jimmy Stewart, Orson Welles, Helen Hayes, Donna Reed, Robin Leach and John Goodman.

The company has evolved to fit a changing marketplace. Certain soup varieties are positioned as recipe ingredients. Line extensions include flavors with more of a culinary spin and Healthy Request Soups have been added, featuring reduced sodium, cholesterol, fat and calories. A global brand, as well, the name is on regional varieties, such as watercress and duck gizzard soup in China, and a cream of chile poblano soup in Mexico. Have you had your soup today? Combined, Americans purchase on average approximately 70 cans of Campbell's every second of every day of the year. It's a phenomenal marketing success.