Real Mamas Featured in National Campaign with New Lineup of ‘Mama’s Boys’
CAMDEN, N.J., May 10, 2002 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX/ — Will the real moms please stand up? Campbell Soup Company (NYSE: CPB) today announced that for the first time, real NFL moms will join their sons to champion Campbell’s Chunky soup in its popular “Mama’s Boys” marketing campaign.
Philadelphia Eagles’ all-pro quarterback Donovan McNabb returns to the 2002 soup-season campaign, joined by his mother Wilma. New to the “Mama’s Boys” line-up are Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis and Gladdis Bettis, New York Giant Michael Strahan and Louise Strahan, and Chicago Bear Brian Urlacher and his mother Lavoyda Lenard. Each player and his mother will be featured in television and radio advertising set to debut during the NFL’s opening weekend in September.
Campbell’s “Mama’s Boys” campaign has worked in tandem with the company’s sponsorship of the National Football League to help solidify the strong Chunky soup positioning that has helped feed the double-digit growth of the brand. The addition of the players’ real-life moms is part of a creative shift to reach out to a broader audience. While the commercials will feature the lighthearted humor of past campaigns, each player and mom will team up to bring the trademark Chunky soup “It fills you up right” message to members of the community at large.
The commercials have been filmed on locations as varied as a scrap yard, bowling alley, classroom and subway station — taking Chunky soup from the football field to the “real world.” In past campaigns, actresses have portrayed the mothers and the commercials were filmed on studio sets.
“The Campbell’s Chunky soup campaign has always had fun with the interplay between the best personalities in the NFL and their mothers’ outrageous efforts to keep their boys eating right,” said Jeremy Fingerman, Vice President – U.S. Soup. “This year’s ‘Mama’s Boys’ campaign will truly bring this nurturing and caring relationship to life, and take the comedic effort to the community at large.”
With 12 Pro-Bowl appearances among them, the 2002 Chunky soup “Mama’s Boys” line up reads like an all-star roster of established and up-and-coming players. On offense, McNabb continued to dominate during his third NFL season, leading the Philadelphia Eagles to the NFC championship game in 2002, and perennial Pittsburgh great Bettis rushed for his fifth consecutive 1,000-yard season. On the defensive side, Strahan and Urlacher both sacked their competition last season, with Strahan breaking the 17-year-old, single-season record for sacks with 22-1/2, and Urlacher providing leadership that put the “monster” back in Chicago’s defense.
“‘Mama’s Boys’ are selected based on their on-field performances, their off-field personalities, and their personification of the Chunky soup brand — a bigger-than-life, hard-working guy who is always looking out for others,” added Fingerman.
The campaign reinforces Campbell’s relationship with the NFL, while highlighting brand leadership and product quality. The total marketing effort will be the largest in the history of the Chunky brand, with the new advertisements complemented by a mobile marketing tour and a nationwide hunger relief and donation program.
The Tackling Hunger tour will help fans learn how they can help fight hunger in America and will provide product sampling and interactive games at NFL events and other venues throughout the season. Campbell’s Chunky/NFL Tackling Hunger program generated a donation of more than 6 million cans of Campbell’s soup for food banks across the country last season alone, and more than 26 million pounds of food since 1997. Fans can do their part to help tackle hunger by visiting https://www.chunky.com to locate an America’s Second Harvest affiliate in their area.
Campbell’s Chunky soup brand has doubled in sales since 1997 and will follow its successful game plan in the 2002 soup season with increased investments in marketing and product improvement. Four of Campbell’s Chunky chicken varieties will have more chicken than before and Campbell also is introducing a new line of Chunky “Roasted Favorites” soups in October, including: Slow Roasted Beef with Mushrooms, Herb Roasted Chicken with Potatoes and Garlic, and Honey Roasted Ham with Potatoes. All Campbell’s Chunky soup varieties are packaged in easy-open, pop-top cans.
The national advertising campaign will continue beyond the 2002/2003 NFL season. Creative for the campaign is handled by Young & Rubicam, New York.
SOURCE Campbell Soup Company
CONTACT: Jeff Bedard of Campbell Soup Company, +1-856-342-5291, or [email protected]; or Alan Kercinik of Weber Shandwick, +1-312-988-2178, or [email protected], for Campbell Soup Company
