Dive brief:
- Campbell’s has teamed up with family experience company Camp on two limited-edition scented candles and a winter activity guide for families, according to an announcement.
- In addition to Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese and Chicken Noodle Soup candles, the collaboration includes a winter warm-up guide filled with activities like arts and crafts, recipes, and games parents can play with their children. Once each candle is burned, it reveals a miniature “Snowbuddy” figure.
- The collaboration allows Campbell’s to engage with parents through merchandise and an experiential element that mirrors offerings from Camp, a toy retailer known for its stores that combine shopping and play.
Dive overview:
Campbell’s collaboration with Camp employs several tactics that have remained popular with marketers over the past few years. Scented candles — which smell of the company’s signature chicken noodle soup and popular pairing of tomato soup and grilled cheese — allow Campbell to market its products using a sensory element. The figurine and box design are inspired by the brand’s stackable snowman soup cans and its 2020 “Snowbuddy” campaign.
The effort could help keep the Campbell Soup brand in front of loyal customers at a time when demand is strong but sales have faltered due to supply chain issues and labor shortages, according to the Campbell Soup Company First Quarter 2022 Earnings Report.
The winter warm-up guide comes when parents are looking for ways to keep their kids active and entertained, whether they’re stuck indoors due to cold weather or pandemic-related school closures that have swept the nation. Brands such as Hasbro released activity guides and similar online resources at the start of the pandemic, when schools were first closed to coronavirus, and the tactic may prove resilient as surges variations continue.
By partnering with Camp, Campbell’s is bringing its brand to a toy retailer known for its boutique-game hybrid. Camp operates stores in New York, New Jersey, Texas and Connecticut and is active on digital platforms that extend its brand beyond physical locations. This collaboration brings Campbell’s closer to the culture, a tactic that other CPG brands have used to engage with young consumers. However, Campbell’s focus on parents and their children is consistent with traditional CPG marketing.
Similarly, Campbell’s previously sought to balance its brand traditions with modern marketing tactics. Last year, the soup brand revamped its iconic labels while embracing “comfort, goodness, and Americana,” an effort that was paired with an NFT collection and a series of specially-marked cans that unlocked songs and music. additional content via QR codes.