Iconic brand changes name

I have to admit, I was somewhat disappointed when I heard the news that the Campbell’s Soup Company was going to change its name to simply the Campbell’s Company.

It’s not that I don’t understand why such a change is being made, it’s just that this is a brand name that has been easily recognizable for decades and its products have been a household staple since I was a young boy. I clearly recall being served Campbell’s chicken noodle soup by my mom on many occasions, and yes, it was pretty much always there when I was sick.

There’s kind of a comfort in that sort of thing. It’s as if when the time arises, you look forward to it.

Campbell’s CEO Mark Clouse pointed out that the name change was part of a “shift in focus” toward other snack foods and sauces the company offers. Statistics more or less justify the ploy, as Campbell’s snacks sales grew by 13% last year while its soups grew by just 3%.

I get that, but from a strictly personal standpoint, I still feel like something is being lost or taken away.

The New Jersey-based company began producing canned condensed soup in 1897 and has operated under the Campbell’s Soup Company moniker since 1922. That means the phrase has been familiar to generations of Americans.

Only a handful of companies or products can claim anything remotely similar to that kind of longevity in U.S. history, like Ford Motor Company, Levi’s and Colgate.

I guess the good news is that cans of Campbell’s soup more than likely will look about the same, because they bear the word “Campbell’s” in large lettering near the top of their labels and the type of soup that’s in the can in smaller letters near the bottom. So realistically, the primary thing that will change is the word “soup” will no longer be seen anywhere on a package of Goldfish crackers, V8 vegetable juice, Snyder pretzels, Pepperidge Farm bread, Prego spaghetti sauce, Godiva chocolate or any of the other foods sold under the Campbell’s umbrella.

Well, that and the company’s website address, which has “soup” in it.

Incidentally, Goldfish is now considered Campbell’s “star product” and is expected to be the company’s biggest brand by 2027.

“We will always love soup, and we’ll never take our eye off of this critical business,” Clouse said. “But today, we’re so much more than soup.”

I believe I detect a marketing scheme there.

“The Campbell’s Company; so much more than soup.”

Suddenly I feel like having a grilled cheese sandwich and some tomato soup.

Doug Davison is a writer, photographer and newsroom assistant for the Houston Herald. Email: ddavison@houstonherald.com.

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