Soup Ad Wars: Campbell vs. Progresso
To compete with General Mills's Progresso low-calorie soup brand, Campbell is taking a different tack in its latest ad campaign for its Select Harvest line, stressing natural ingredients, no artificial flavors, and no MSG (monosodium glutamate), Brandweek
reports.
In 2007, Progresso Light soups were endorsed by Weight Watchers, which catapulted the line to instant success. General Mills introduced nine new Light varieties last month, but Campbell's is not sitting back and letting it take over valuable market share at the beginning of the soup season.
BBDO, the New York agency handling the Campbell account, produced a series of television and print ads that position Campbell as the natural, healthy option - versus Progresso products, which contain artificial ingredients and flavoring such as hydrolized vegetable protein and MSG.
One ad in the New York Times, for example, shows a can of Progresso with the caption, "Made With MSG" opposite a can of Campbell's Select Harvest with the headline: "Made With TLC" (tender love and care).
TV spots conclude with a reference to Progresso: "Unlike Progresso soups, new Campbell Select Harvest soups never contain artificial flavor or MSG. Just real ingredients. Real taste."
The soup maker also sent out coupon flyers that read, "'If you buy Progresso soups, you might want to know what you're actually eating," with a list of the "good" and "bad" ingredients. "It's kind of an aggressive flyer," writes a customer on the Campbell's online community forum.
Some believe that Campbell is making a smart move in using the ingredients angle. "What Campbell has done is point out how natural their ingredients are and how that isn't the case necessary with Progresso," said Lynn Dornblaser, new products expert at Mintel. "'It's saying, 'The ingredients in our can of soup are the same as what you use to make soup from scratch at home.'"
Campbell's is going to market the Select Harvest line via a coupon offer to younger consumers, hoping that the "all natural" pitch will garner the attention of those who brown-bag their lunches.
