Campbell's
Campbell's is an American packaged-food brand best known for canned and condensed soups, with related products spanning broths, sauces, pasta meals, and other convenient foods.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Campbell's is the flagship consumer-food brand of The Campbell's Company, an American packaged-food manufacturer headquartered in Camden, New Jersey. The business began in 1869 when fruit merchant Joseph A. Campbell and icebox manufacturer Abraham Anderson formed a partnership producing canned tomatoes, vegetables, jellies, soups, condiments and minced meats. Although the company later developed a broad portfolio of brands and product categories, Campbell's remains most closely associated with canned soup. The brand's most recognizable products include Campbell's Tomato Soup and Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup, alongside condensed soups, ready-to-serve soups, broth, cooking sauces, canned meals and related pantry products. The red-and-white package, introduced in the late nineteenth century, has remained unusually consistent over time. Its visual identity became part of American popular culture, particularly after Andy Warhol used Campbell's soup cans as subjects for his 1960s pop-art works. A major turning point came in the late 1890s, when chemist John T. Dorrance developed a commercially viable process for condensing soup by removing much of its water. The innovation reduced shipping and storage costs and enabled consumers to reconstitute the product at home. Campbell's subsequently built a mass-market position through national distribution, extensive advertising and household-oriented product communication. The Campbell's Kids advertising characters, created by illustrator Grace Drayton, became one of the brand's most durable promotional assets. The long-running “Mmm Mmm Good” slogan further reinforced the association between Campbell's and familiar, comforting food. The wider company expanded substantially through acquisitions and portfolio management. Its holdings and former holdings have included Pepperidge Farm, V8, Swanson, Franco-American, Godiva, Kelsen, Garden Fresh Gourmet, Pacific Foods and Snyder's-Lance. The Campbell's name itself has been used across soups, sauces, canned foods, beverages and snacks, while some acquired brands have operated with separate identities. In the 2010s, the company pursued younger and more affluent consumers through digital marketing, fresh and organic products, snacks and premium pantry categories. Campbell's has also faced questions about sodium levels, packaging materials, genetically modified ingredients and the environmental effects of food processing. The company has introduced reduced-sodium products and committed in 2016 to supporting mandatory GMO labeling after previously contributing to opposition against California Proposition 37. Its Canadian subsidiary introduced halal-certified soups in 2010, while the brand returned to the United Kingdom through licensed production after the earlier Campbell name license expired. The parent company changed its corporate name from Campbell Soup Company to The Campbell's Company in 2024, preserving the flagship brand name while signaling a broader portfolio beyond soup. Campbell's continues to operate as a major packaged-food brand, with soups and other shelf-stable foods at the center of its identity and a wider presence in sauces, snacks, beverages and prepared meals.
History
Campbell's traces its origins to 1869, when Joseph A. Campbell and Abraham Anderson established a food-preservation partnership in New Jersey. The early business made a varied assortment of canned and preserved foods rather than focusing exclusively on soup. Anderson left the partnership in 1876, after which the company continued as the Joseph A. Campbell Preserve Company. The decisive technological development occurred in the 1890s. John T. Dorrance, a chemist trained at MIT and the University of Göttingen and related to company president Arthur Dorrance, developed a method for concentrating soup by reducing its water content. The resulting condensed soup was cheaper to transport and store and became practical for mass retail. John T. Dorrance later led the company and ultimately acquired control from the Campbell family. Campbell's visual identity also took shape during this period. In 1898, executive Herberton Williams promoted a carnelian-red and bright-white color scheme inspired by Cornell University athletic uniforms. A medal associated with the 1900 Paris Exposition was incorporated into the label. Except for textual refinements, the package structure remained recognizable for generations and became one of the best-known designs in food marketing. During the twentieth century, Campbell expanded through advertising, distribution and acquisitions. The Campbell's Kids helped make soup recognizable to families, and the company sponsored radio programming including The Campbell Playhouse. Under William Beverly Murphy, the company broadened its portfolio with brands and categories including Pepperidge Farm baked goods, Franco-American gravies and pasta, V8 beverages, Swanson products and Godiva chocolates. The company also experimented with restaurants and food-service businesses during the 1970s and 1980s. The Camden manufacturing network contracted toward the end of the twentieth century. The original Camden plant closed after production ended in 1991, while other facilities in Maryland and Tennessee also shut down. Production moved to other American plants, resulting in substantial job losses but preserving the company's broader manufacturing system. A new and expanded headquarters in Camden was completed in 2009. Campbell's international footprint changed repeatedly. Its United Kingdom and Ireland business was sold to Premier Foods in 2006, with use of the Campbell name continuing under license until 2008. Products later returned to British retail through licensed production, initially in packets and boxes and subsequently in cans. In Canada, halal-certified soups were introduced in 2010. The company also closed its Canadian factory in Toronto in 2018, shifting production to facilities in the United States. From 2012 onward, the company emphasized digital marketing, fresh and organic foods, premium brands and snacks. Bolthouse Farms, Kelsen Group, Garden Fresh Gourmet, Pacific Foods and Snyder's-Lance were among the notable transactions of the period, although some assets were later divested. Campbell sold Kelsen to a Ferrero subsidiary and Arnott's Biscuits to KKR in 2019, reflecting a continuing effort to reshape the portfolio. In 2023, it announced the acquisition of Sovos Brands, bringing premium pasta sauces and related products into the group. The brand has remained culturally prominent beyond its commercial role. Andy Warhol's 1962 Campbell's soup-can paintings made the package a defining symbol of American pop art. At the same time, the brand has had to respond to nutrition and sustainability concerns, including criticism of sodium levels, bisphenol A in can linings and the company's former political position on GMO labeling. The parent company adopted The Campbell's Company name in 2024, while Campbell's continued as the central consumer-facing food brand.
- 2024
Parent company adopts The Campbell's Company name
[1]The corporate parent changes its name to emphasize a broader portfolio while keeping the Campbell's brand at its center.
- 2024
Sovos Brands acquisition completed
[7]The parent company completed its acquisition of Sovos Brands after regulatory review, broadening its meals-and-beverages portfolio.
- 2024
Parent company moves listing to Nasdaq
[8]The Campbell's Company transferred its public stock listing to Nasdaq and retained the CPB ticker.
- 2023
Sovos Brands acquisition announced
[1]Campbell announces its $2.7 billion acquisition of Sovos Brands.
- 2021
Chunky launches Lunchtime Is Your Halftime
[6]Campbell's Chunky introduced a nationwide NFL-season campaign featuring Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay.
- 2019
Chunky expands into Twitch marketing
[15]Chunky began extending its sports-oriented marketing into livestreaming and gaming environments.
- 2017
Pacific Foods and Snyder's-Lance transactions
[1]Campbell completes the Pacific Foods purchase and agrees to its largest acquisition, Snyder's-Lance.
- 2015
Made for Real, Real Life campaign introduced
[5]Campbell launched an integrated soup-portfolio campaign built around varied real-life family situations.
- 2012
Bolthouse Farms acquisition announced
[1]Campbell announces a $1.55 billion purchase of Bolthouse Farms to expand into juices, dressings and fresh foods.
- 2010
“It's Amazing What Soup Can Do” campaign launches
[10]Campbell introduced its first umbrella U.S. soup campaign spanning several major soup lines.
Products and positioning
An iconic, mainstream convenience-food brand centered on familiar soups, dependable taste, pantry storage, and easy meal preparation. A familiar, accessible, and convenient soup brand built on comfort, everyday meals, dependable taste, and more than a century of distinctive red-and-white packaging. A familiar American soup brand built around convenience, comfort, meal versatility and recognizable red-and-white packaging, with newer products and communications aimed at health-conscious households and younger consumers.
Condensed soup
Campbell's Tomato Soup
The brand's signature tomato soup, sold in the familiar red-and-white condensed can. It is commonly prepared with water or milk and is one of the products most strongly associated with Campbell's identity and American pantry culture. Campbell's Tomato Soup is the brand's best-known individual offering and a defining example of its condensed-soup format. It is consumed as a prepared soup and used as a base or ingredient in home cooking.
Soup
Campbell's Chicken Noodle Soup
A mainstream chicken soup containing noodles and chicken in broth. It represents Campbell's core promise of convenient, familiar comfort food and is sold in condensed and other prepared formats depending on market.
Ready-to-serve soup · 1970
Campbell's Chunky
A more substantial soup line marketed around visible pieces of meat, vegetables and other ingredients. The range helped extend Campbell's beyond the lighter texture traditionally associated with condensed soup. Chunky is positioned around a more substantial soup experience, with hearty ingredients and meal-like serving occasions. The line has built a distinctive identity through sports sponsorships and NFL-centered advertising. A substantial soup range positioned around larger pieces of meat, vegetables and other ingredients. Chunky has historically used sports marketing, particularly football partnerships, and has added spicier products to broaden its appeal.
Reduced-sodium soup · 1991
Campbell's Healthy Request
A soup range positioned toward consumers seeking reduced-sodium alternatives. The line forms part of Campbell's response to nutrition concerns surrounding the comparatively high sodium content of many canned soups.
Cooking ingredients
Campbell's cooking soups and sauces
Products used as ingredients in casseroles, sauces and other home-cooked dishes. These offerings extend the brand from ready-to-eat soup into convenient pantry components for everyday meal preparation.
Shelf-stable foods
Campbell's broths and canned meals
A broader group of shelf-stable products including broths and prepared meals. They support Campbell's role as a convenient pantry brand rather than limiting it to a single soup format.
Condensed soup · 1897
Campbell's Condensed Soup
The core Campbell's line consists of concentrated canned soups intended to be heated with added water, although consumers also use them directly in recipes and casseroles. The line is associated with the brand's historic convenience proposition and red-and-white packaging. The brand's foundational format, made with reduced water so consumers can prepare it by adding water at home. It includes iconic flavors such as tomato and chicken noodle and is also promoted as a cooking ingredient for sauces, casseroles and other recipes. The brand's signature format. Condensed soup is packaged with reduced water content and is commonly prepared by adding water or milk. It is sold in numerous varieties, including tomato, chicken noodle, cream-based soups, vegetable soups, and other recipes. Consumers also use it as a cooking ingredient in casseroles, sauces, and gravies.
Premium soup
Campbell's Slow Kettle
Slow Kettle is a Campbell's soup range promoted as a differentiated, more indulgent or premium option within the broader soup portfolio. It was supported by the It's Amazing What Soup Can Do campaign.
Premium-style soup · 2007
Campbell's Select Harvest
Select Harvest is one of the principal Campbell's soup brands used in portfolio advertising alongside condensed soup and Chunky. It provides an additional variety and positioning within the company's mainstream soup offering. A soup line presented with differentiated recipes and ingredients from the most basic condensed range. It has been included in Campbell's broader U.S. soup marketing and portfolio segmentation.
Ready-to-serve soup
Campbell's Ready-to-Serve Soup
Soup sold in formats intended to be heated and eaten without the preparation step associated with condensed varieties. The line supports convenience-oriented lunches and quick meals across multiple flavors and package sizes. Ready-to-serve soups are formulated to be heated and eaten without the dilution required by condensed products. They address convenience-oriented use occasions and are sold in multiple package formats and recipes, including familiar Campbell's soup flavors and varieties tailored to changing consumer preferences.
Broth and cooking base
Campbell's Broths and Stocks
Broths and stocks extend the Campbell's presence into meal preparation. They can be used as soup bases, cooking liquids, or ingredients in rice, vegetables, sauces, and other recipes. Availability and product names vary by market.
Cooking ingredient
Campbell's Cooking Soups and Recipe Ingredients
Condensed cream soups and related products are frequently positioned for use in home cooking rather than only as finished soup. Their thick texture and concentrated flavor make them convenient ingredients for casseroles, pasta dishes, gravies, and other prepared meals.
Controversies
2025
Wastewater-discharge violations
Campbell acknowledged multiple Clean Water Act violations connected with wastewater discharges from its Napoleon, Ohio plant into the Maumee River system.
2025
Employment lawsuit involving alleged executive comments
A former cybersecurity analyst alleged retaliation after reporting racist comments attributed to an executive. The referenced account says the executive was subsequently dismissed.
2012
GMO-labeling campaign controversy
Campbell contributed to a campaign opposing California Proposition 37, which sought mandatory labeling of foods containing genetically modified ingredients. The company later changed its position.
2009
Sodium and nutrition-labeling criticism
Consumer and media reports questioned claims about reduced sodium and compared sodium and fat levels across Campbell's soup varieties.
2009
Bisphenol A in canned-food packaging
Consumer Reports testing reported detectable BPA levels in canned foods from major manufacturers, including Campbell's products.
Marketing campaigns
- 2024Campbell's Chunky NFL campaigns featuring Jason Kelce and Dexter Lawrence
United States
Chunky introduced separate advertising executions featuring former NFL center Jason Kelce and New York Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Kelce fronted a spicy-soup execution, while Lawrence appeared in a campaign centered on beefy soup.
Outcome. The work continued the brand's established use of NFL linemen and connected product flavor attributes with sports personalities.
- 2021Lunchtime Is Your Halftime
United States
Campbell's Chunky partnered with Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay for a campaign portraying lunch as a chance to refuel and return to a busy day. The work ran across television, streaming, digital, social, and Twitch-related channels during the NFL season.
Outcome. The campaign extended Chunky's NFL platform and sought to make the brand more relevant to younger and time-pressed consumers.
- 2021Pandemic digital and culture marketing
United States
Campbell promoted lunch as an at-home eating occasion, used shoppable advertising and Instacart distribution, and connected with younger audiences through NFL, Twitch and EA Madden partnerships.
Outcome. The strategy was described as contributing to stronger relevance and market-share gains among younger consumers during the pandemic period.
- 2015Made for real, Real life
United States
A positioning line presenting Campbell's products as practical food for ordinary households and everyday routines. Campbell's first integrated soup-portfolio advertising campaign in more than five years presented real families and varied everyday situations. The campaign used television, digital, and social media to portray soup as compatible with contemporary household routines.
Outcome. Modernized mass-market positioning The campaign expanded Campbell's family-oriented positioning and increased the role of digital and social communication in its soup marketing.
- 2015It's Amazing What Soup Can Do
United States
The campaign promoted Campbell's condensed, Chunky, Select Harvest, Slow Kettle, and microwavable soups through a collection of television advertisements focused on soup's different uses and eating occasions.
Outcome. The campaign was expanded after the company reported positive consumer response to its first year.
- 2015Millennial-focused Campbell's soup repositioning
United States
Campbell developed globally inspired flavors, youth-oriented creative and unconventional pouch packaging to challenge perceptions that the brand was old-fashioned.
Outcome. The initiative was reported as gaining positive response among Millennials, although detailed independent performance data is not established here.
- 2011Campbell's iAd campaign
United States
A mobile advertising initiative used Apple's iAd platform to promote Campbell's soups and recipe ideas.
Outcome. Reported measurement found strong engagement and higher-than-benchmark recall among exposed users.
- 2010It's Amazing What Soup Can Do!
United States
A communications platform highlighting soup's versatility in meals and cooking. Campbell's first umbrella advertising platform for its principal U.S. soup brands presented soup as a versatile simple-meal product, an accompaniment and a recipe ingredient.
Outcome. Continued soup-centered positioning The campaign consolidated marketing support across Campbell's condensed, Chunky, Healthy Request, Select Harvest and convenient bowl and cup formats.
- 2005Possibilities
United States
A brand platform emphasizing the possibilities of soup and everyday meals.
Outcome. Short- to medium-term advertising platform
- 1962Campbell's soup-can pop-art association
United States · International cultural markets
Although initiated by artist Andy Warhol rather than as a conventional company campaign, the series of soup-can works gave Campbell's packaging exceptional visibility in modern art and popular culture.
Outcome. The can became an internationally recognized cultural symbol
Showing the 10 most recent.
Brand decisions
2024
Rename the parent companyStrategyBackground
The business had expanded well beyond soup into snacks, sauces, beverages and other packaged foods.
Action taken
Campbell Soup Company adopted The Campbell's Company as its corporate name.
Aftermath
The change retained the flagship brand while presenting the corporation as a broader food company.
2024
Transfer of parent-company stock listing to NasdaqStrategyBackground
The Campbell's Company said the move could provide Nasdaq index inclusion opportunities and certain cost savings.
Action taken
The parent company transferred its listing from the New York Stock Exchange to Nasdaq while retaining the CPB ticker.
Aftermath
The company began trading on Nasdaq in August 2024, while Campbell's remained the flagship consumer brand.
2024
Corporate name changed to The Campbell's CompanyStrategyBackground
The parent company operated a portfolio broader than soup, including meals, sauces, snacks, and other packaged foods.
Action taken
The company adopted The Campbell's Company as its corporate name while continuing to market Campbell's as its flagship consumer brand.
Aftermath
The change clarified the distinction between the Campbell's brand and the wider corporate portfolio; the stock ticker remained CPB.
2024
Acquisition of Sovos BrandsM&ABackground
The parent company sought to strengthen its position in convenient meals and premium packaged foods.
Action taken
The Campbell Soup Company completed the acquisition of Sovos Brands, whose portfolio included Rao's.
Aftermath
Sovos Brands became part of the parent company's broader food portfolio; the transaction did not replace Campbell's core soup identity.
2023
Agreement to acquire Sovos BrandsM&ABackground
The parent company sought to strengthen and diversify its Meals and Beverages division and expand into premium sauces and meals, complementing its mainstream Campbell's portfolio.
Action taken
Campbell agreed to acquire Sovos Brands for $23 per share in cash, with an announced enterprise value of approximately $2.7 billion. Campbell agreed to acquire Sovos Brands, owner of Rao's Homemade, subject to regulatory review.
Aftermath
The transaction was completed in March 2024 after regulatory information requests. Rao's, Michael Angelo's, and noosa were added to the corporate portfolio, with a new Distinctive Brands unit established.
Transaction enterprise value. $2.7 billion announced transaction value (Announced August 2023; completed March 2024)
2017
Acquire Snyder's-LanceM&ABackground
Campbell pursued scale and growth in the snack category as soup consumption faced a mature domestic market.
Action taken
The company agreed to acquire Snyder's-Lance for $4.87 billion in cash.
Aftermath
The transaction became Campbell's largest acquisition and materially broadened its snack portfolio.
Acquisition price. $4.87 billion (2017 announcement)
2016
Support mandatory GMO labelingStrategyBackground
The company faced criticism for previously supporting opposition to California's GMO-labeling proposal.
Action taken
Campbell announced support for mandatory labeling of products containing GMO ingredients.
Aftermath
The change aligned the company with a national labeling approach while marking a reversal of its earlier position.
2012
Acquire Bolthouse FarmsM&ABackground
Campbell sought growth among younger and more affluent consumers and wanted greater exposure to fresh and better-for-you categories.
Action taken
The company announced a $1.55 billion acquisition of Bolthouse Farms.
Aftermath
Campbell expanded into juices, salad dressings and baby carrots.
Acquisition price. $1.55 billion (2012 announcement)
2010
Unify major U.S. soup brands under one campaignStrategyBackground
Campbell sought to modernize the soup category and reinforce soup's usefulness beyond a conventional bowl of soup.
Action taken
It combined support for several Campbell's soup lines under the “It's Amazing What Soup Can Do” platform.
Aftermath
The move created a single strategic message for the U.S. soup portfolio while preserving individual product lines.
1897
Commercialize condensed soupProduct launchBackground
Shipping soup with less water could reduce distribution and storage costs while giving consumers a convenient shelf-stable product.
Action taken
John T. Dorrance developed and the company adopted a condensed-soup process.
Aftermath
Condensed soup became the foundation of Campbell's mass-market identity.
Recent events
The Campbell's Company partners with Per Scholas to launch free manufacturing training program in Milwaukee[21]
Reported:
The Campbell's Company is teaming with the nonprofit Per Scholas to launch a pilot manufacturing training program in Milwaukee, funded by a $500,000 donation from Campbell's. Per Scholas will use the donation to create a free 15-week, 400-hour program based in Milwaukee that will train a first cohort of 25 participants for manufacturing careers starting in early 2027. Campbell's, which has manufacturing facilities in Milwaukee, Franklin and Beloit, says it has a need for technician roles, which the curriculum will focus on.
Sources21 sources
- 1Campbell'sen.wikipedia.org
- 2Campbell's official websitecampbells.com
- 3Campbell Soup Advertising Collectionsi.edu
- 4Guide to the Campbell Soup Advertising Collectionsirismm.si.edu
- 5Campbell's New Portfolio Advertising Campaign Celebrates Real Life Momentsthecampbellscompany.com
- 6Campbell's Chunky Debuts New Creative Campaignthecampbellscompany.com
- 7Campbell Completes Acquisition of Sovos Brandsthecampbellscompany.com
- 8Campbell Soup Transferring Stock Listing to Nasdaqnjbiz.com
- 9The Campbell Soup Advertising Collectionsova.si.edu
- 10Campbell launches “It's Amazing What Soup Can Do” campaignthecampbellscompany.com
- 11Campbell's pandemic marketing pivotuschamber.com
- 12Campbell's Sovos transaction reviewreuters.com
- 13https://www.thecampbellscompany.com/thecampbellscompany.com
- 14Campbell Kids enter brand advertisingansoup.com
- 15Chunky expands into Twitch marketingdigiday.com
- 16It's Amazing What Soup Can Dothecampbellscompany.com
- 17Campbell's Chunky NFL campaigns featuring Jason Kelce and Dexter Lawrencesportsbusinessjournal.com
- 18Campbell's iAd campaignmarketingdive.com
- 19Millennial-focused Campbell's soup repositioningmdgsolutions.com
- 20Transaction enterprise valuesec.gov
- 21金宝汤公司与Per Scholas合作在密尔沃基推出免费制造业培训项目wpr.org
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