food

Campbell Soup Ditches Moms For NFL's LT

Campbells Soup Starting next weekend, Campbell Soup will roll out its "Working Day" campaign, with a set of 15- and 30-second TV spots focusing on the working life of San Diego Chargers running back and former NFL MVP LaDainian Tomlinson.

In the spots, which will run not only during football games but also during programs that appeal to the general population, LT--as he is known--plays football as a voiceover describes him interacting with his colleagues (fellow players), meeting the approval of his boss (coach) and other workaday descriptions. Then he sits down to a meal of Chunky Soup as the voiceover suggests: "Fill up on the good stuff."

Brand manager Doug Brand says the new tack is an evolution for Chunky. "The way we were talking about our product was from the benefit of 'full'--it fills you up right," he says. "We've been doing that for the last 10 years. Now we want people to feel confident that they have made a good choice." Campbell had enlisted the mothers of NFL football players over the last decade to help advertise its brand.

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The "Working Day" advertising campaign consists of two :30 and three :15 broadcast spots, as well as print, radio and online advertising. Print is set to launch on Thursday, and will extend through March in publications that reach men such as Men's Heath, Men's Fitness, Sports Illustrated, ESPN the Magazine, Popular Mechanics and Rolling Stone. Chunky soup ads will also run in Health, People and TV Guide, which skew to a more female audience.

"A significant portion of Chunky consumption spans the breadth of consumers," says Brand, so the media buy extended to reach the gatekeepers--wome--as well as the bull's-eye demographic of men in their 30s and 40s. "We have seen strong growth in our Chunky Healthy Request line over the last three years. Our consumers are saying: 'We want the taste and we want to make good decisions for ourselves as well'."

"Working Day" ads also will be seen on outdoor posters peppering construction sites in Detroit and Washington D.C., emphasizing the hard-working theme of the campaign.

Creative was handled by Young & Rubicam, New York, which enlisted the talent of noted commercial director, Kinka Usher, of House of Usher, to produce a visually explosive campaign. Usher used computer-generated graphics and unique camera angles to create dynamic, visually intensive and precise shots to deliver the "in your face" images.

Meanwhile, the NFL moms live on--as 35 of them are taking part in a philanthropic enterprise, Campbell's Chunky/NFL Tackling Hunger program. Chunky soup, in partnership with the Professional Football Player's Mothers Association, will help raise donations for Feeding America food banks nationwide.

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