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'''Campbell Soup Company''' ({{NYSE|CPB}}), also known as '''Campbell's''', is a well-known [[United States|American]] producer of [[canned soup]]s and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered<ref>[http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BZ&Dato=20080130&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=709280802&Ref=PH Courier-Post newspaper photo gallery of Campbell's Soup's early years in Camden, N.J.]</ref> in [[Camden, New Jersey]]. Campbells divides itself into three divisions the Simple Meals division which consists largely of Soups both condensed and ready to serve, the Baked Snacks division that consists of Pepperidge Farm, and the Health Beverage Division that includes V8 juices. The company has undertaken a major initiative since 2008 to reduce the sodium content of its products especially canned soups.
'''Campbell Soup Company''' ({{NYSE|CPB}}), also known as '''Campbell's''', is a well-known [[United States|American]] producer of [[canned soup]]s and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered<ref>[http://www.courierpostonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Avis=BZ&Dato=20080130&Kategori=NEWS01&Lopenr=709280802&Ref=PH Courier-Post newspaper photo gallery of Campbell's Soup's early years in Camden, N.J.]</ref> in [[Camden, New Jersey]]. Campbells divides itself into three divisions the Simple Meals division which consists largely of Soups both condensed and ready to serve, the Baked Snacks division that consists of Pepperidge Farm, and the Health Beverage Division that includes V8 juices. The company has undertaken a major initiative since 2008 to reduce the sodium content of its products, especially canned soups.


==History==
==History==

Revision as of 23:19, 1 November 2010

Campbell Soup Company
Company typePublic (NYSE: CPB)
IndustryFood - Major Diversified
Founded1869
HeadquartersCamden, New Jersey, U.S.
Key people
Douglas R. Conant, CEO
ProductsCampbell's
Erasco
Pepperidge Farm
Arnott's
Pace
StockPot
V8
Liebig
Royco
RevenueIncrease US$7.59 Billion (FY 2009)[1]
Increase US$1.25 Billion (FY 2009)[1]
Increase US$736 Million (FY 2009)[1]
Total assetsDecrease US$6.06 Billion (FY 2009)[2]
Total equityDecrease US$728 Million (FY 2009)[2]
Number of employees
24,000 (2006)
Websitehttp://www.campbellsoupcompany.com

Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB), also known as Campbell's, is a well-known American producer of canned soups and related products. Campbell's products are sold in 120 countries around the world. It is headquartered[3] in Camden, New Jersey. Campbells divides itself into three divisions the Simple Meals division which consists largely of Soups both condensed and ready to serve, the Baked Snacks division that consists of Pepperidge Farm, and the Health Beverage Division that includes V8 juices. The company has undertaken a major initiative since 2008 to reduce the sodium content of its products, especially canned soups.

History

The company was started in 1869 by Joseph A. Campbell a fruit merchant; and Abraham Anderson, an icebox manufacturer.[4] They produced canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments, and minced meats.

In 1876 Anderson left the partnership and the company became the "Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company".[5]

Campbell reorganized into "Joseph Campbell & Co." in 1896. In 1897, John T. Dorrance, a nephew of the general manager, Arthur Dorrance began working for the company at a wage of $7.50 a week.[5][6] Dorrance, a chemist with degrees from MIT and Göttingen University, Germany, developed a commercially viable method for condensing soup by halving the quantity of its heaviest ingredient: water.[4] He went on to become president of the company from 1914 to 1930, eventually buying out the Campbell family.[7]

In 1898, Herberton Williams, a Campbell's executive, convinced the company to adopt a cherry red and bright white color scheme, because he was taken by the crisp colors of the Cornell University football team's uniforms.[8] To this day, the layout of the can, with its red and white design and the metallic gold medal seal from the 1900 Paris Exhibition, has changed very little.

Entrance to Campbell Soup headquarters in Camden

Campbell Soup became one of the largest food companies in the world under the leadership of William Beverly Murphy. He was elected executive vice president of Campbell Soup in 1949 and was president and CEO from 1953 to 1972. While at Campbell's Soup Company, he took the corporation public and increased its brand portfolio to include Pepperidge Farm's breads, cookies, and crackers, Franco-American's gravies and pastas, V8 vegetable juices, Swanson broths, and Godiva's chocolates.

Campbell Soup invested heavily in advertising since its inception, and many of its promotional campaigns have proven value in the Americana collectible advertising market. Perhaps best known are the "Campbell Kids" who represented the recognizable soup.[4] Ronald Reagan was a spokesman for V8 when Campbell's acquired the brand in 1948.[9]

In addition to collectible advertising, the company has also had notable commercial sponsorships. Among these was The Campbell Playhouse, which had previously been Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre On The Air. Campbell's took over as sponsor of the radio theater program in December 1938.

In the UK and Ireland, Campbell Soup was rebranded as Batchelors Condensed Soup (UK) and Erin (Ireland) in March 2008, when the license to use the brand name expired. Premier Foods, St. Albans, Hertfordshire bought the Campbell Soup Company in the UK and Ireland, for £450m ($830m) in 2006, but was licensed to use the brand only until 2008. Under this agreement the US-based Campbell Soup Company will continue to produce Campbell's Condensed Soup but cannot sell the product in the UK for a further 5 years.[10]

Campbell's continues to be a major part of Camden, regularly participating in charity events[11][12] in the community. It also is in the process[13] of building a new and expanded headquarters[14] in the city.

In January 2010, Campbell's Canadian subsidiary began selling a line of soups that are certified by the Islamic Society of North America as being halal. Although Campbell does not have any plans to sell its halal soups in the United States, the move has drawn criticism from anti-muslim advocates in the United States.[15]

In pop art

Campbell's Soup Cans by Andy Warhol, displayed in the Museum of Modern Art.
Main article: Campbell's Soup Cans

In 1962, artist Andy Warhol took the familiar look of the Campbell's soup can and integrated it into a series of pop art silkscreens, a theme he would return to off and on through the 1960s and 1970s. The first batch in 1962 were a series of 32 canvases. At first, the cans were accurate representations of actual Campbell's cans, but as his series progressed, they became more surrealistic, with Warhol experimenting with negative-reversed color schemes and other varied techniques (many of these which would be used on other Warhol paintings of the period, such as his celebrity silkscreens of the 1960s.) The silkscreens themselves have become iconic pieces of pop art, with one in particular, Small Torn Campbell Soup Can (Pepper Pot) (1962), commanding a price of $11.8 million at auction in 2006.

In 2004, Campbell's themselves recognized Warhol's art by releasing in the eastern United States a limited-edition series of cans that were inspired by the coloring and silkscreen effects of Warhol's pieces. This marked one of the few times in the company's history that they would change the trade dress for their main canned-soup line in any substantial manner.

Slogans

  • Mmm Mmm Good (1978–2010)
  • Possibilities (2005–2009)
  • So Many Many Reasons It's So Mmm Mmm Good (2008–2010)
  • It's Amazing What Campbells Do (2010–present)

Health

Many canned soups, including Campbell's condensed and Chunky varieties, contain relatively high quantities of sodium and thus are not desirable for those on low-sodium diets. However, Campbell's Chunky, Healthy Request and other soups, as well as their V-8 and Tomato juices, have claimed to contain reduced sodium levels.[16] These soups use sea salt as one of the methods in lowering sodium.

In March 2009, this claim was challenged. ABCNews reported that the low-sodium variety of Campbell soup in fact contains the same amount of sodium as the regular variety, and that Campbell's Healthy Request soup contains more fat than the regular variety.[17]

In the fall of 2007, Campbell's was awarded a Certificate of Excellence for their efforts in lowering sodium levels, from Blood Pressure Canada.[18] By autumn 2009, Campbell's claims it will have lowered the sodium content in 50% of its soups range.[19]

Consumer Reports has found that major canned food companies including Campbell’s Soup are using cans that leach Bisphenol A (BPA) into food. [citation needed] BPA is linked to many health risks including reproductive abnormalities, neurological effects, heightened risk of breast and prostate cancers, diabetes, heart disease and other serious health problems.

Children are particularly sensitive to the toxic chemical and the testing revealed that just one serving of canned food would exceed scientific limits for daily exposure. [citation needed]

Brands

Campbell's owns numerous brands, categorized for different lines. Many of Campbell's brands are listed below.

Soups

File:Campbell's Dry Chicken Noodle Soup.JPG
Campbell's dried chicken noodle soup
  • Campbell's Condensed Soups: Campbell's flagship line
  • Campbell's Chunky Soups: Uncondensed soups with large portions of vegetables and other ingredients.
  • Campbell's Fun Favorites Soups
  • Campbell's Healthy Request Soups: Soups with lower quantities of ingredients such as sodium
  • Campbell's Kitchen Classics Soups
  • Campbell's Select Harvest Soups (Prior to 2008, this line was called “Select”.  In 2008, the line was renamed “Select harvest” and given newly restyled labels.)
  • Campbell's Oriental Soups: Chinese-style oriental soups
  • Campbell's Soup at Hand Soups: Drinkable soups in special microwave-safe cans
  • Campbell's Velish: Name used in Australia for range of vegetarian soups
  • Campbell's Country Ladle: Name used in Australia for range of home style soups
  • Tomato Soup Lovers
  • Simply Home Soups
  • Wolfgang Puck Soups: Campbell bought the soup business from Wolfgang Puck Worldwide Inc. in an agreement that allows Campbell to use the Wolfgang Puck brand on soup, stock and broth products in North America as well as the option to expand the brand into other areas.[20]

Meatballs

Meal kits

  • Campbell's Supper Bakes Meal Kits

Pace

Pepperidge Farm

Prego

Swanson

Beverages

  • V8 Vegetable Juice
  • V8 Splash Juice Drinks
  • V8 V.Fusion
  • Campbell's Tomato Juice

Food services

  • Campbell Food Service: School cafeteria service

Other brands

Recalls

2010

In June 2010, Campbell's "Spaghettios and Meatballs" product was recalled after a Texas firm found possible traces of underprocessed meat in the product.[24]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Campbell Soup Company (CPB) annual SEC income statement filing via Wikinvest
  2. ^ a b Campbell Soup Company (CPB) annual SEC balance sheet filing via Wikinvest
  3. ^ Courier-Post newspaper photo gallery of Campbell's Soup's early years in Camden, N.J.
  4. ^ a b c Martha Esposito Shea and Mike Mathis (writer) (2002). Campbell Soup Company. Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738510580. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  5. ^ a b Robert Heide and John Gilman (writer) (2006). New Jersey: Daytripping, Backroads, Eateries, Funky Adventures. Macmillian. p. 129. ISBN 0312341563. The Campbell's Soup Company was begun when Joseph Campbell, a fruit merchant, and Abram Anderson, an icebox manufacturer, ... Arthur Dorance and Joseph Campbell then formed a new company called the Joseph Campbell Preserve Company. ... {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  6. ^ History of the Campbell Soup Company
  7. ^ Dr. John Thompson Dorrance - West Laurel Hill Cemetery web site
  8. ^ Campbell's Soup History: Introduction from Campbell's official website
  9. ^ The evil history of tomatoes
  10. ^ UK shops to lose famous soup can, BBC News, 1 October 2007
  11. ^ Courier-Post newspaper photo gallery of Campbell's charity event
  12. ^ Courier-Post newspaper photo gallery of another Campbell's charity event
  13. ^ Courier-Post newspaper photo gallery of Campbell's ground-breaking
  14. ^ Courier-Post newspaper photo gallery of Campbell's topping-off ceremony
  15. ^ Farhi, Paul (October 18, 2010). "Simmering over Campbell's soups". Washington Post. p. C1.
  16. ^ Campbell's FAQ
  17. ^ http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/7_on_your_side&id=7307469
  18. ^ "VOLUME 1, ISSUE 4" (PDF). Blood Pressure Canada News. Blood Pressure Canada. 2007-10-23. Retrieved 2008-04-06. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help)
  19. ^ 1st Campbell soup latest to go lower-sodium
  20. ^ "Campbell Soup buys Wolfgang Puck soup business". Associated Press. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2008-07-01.
  21. ^ "Campbell Soup Co. to acquire Pace Foods Ltd. for $1 billion", Nation's Restaurant News, December 12, 1994.
  22. ^ Glenn Collins, "Campbell Soup Takes the Big Plunge Into Salsa", New York Times, November 29, 1994.
  23. ^ StockPot - Discover the made-from-scratch taste of StockPot fresh-refrigerated soups, sauces, chilies and marinades
  24. ^ Texas Firm recalls 3 varieties of Spaghettios and Meatballs

See also

References

  • Collins, Douglas (1994). America's Favorite Food: The Story of Campbell Soup Company. Harry N. Abrams, Inc. ISBN 0-8109-2592-3
  • Shea, Martha Esposito and Mathis, Mike (2002). "Images of America: Campbell Soup Company". Arcadia Publishing ISBN 0738510580
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Campbell Soup Company.
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