Campbell To Be An Official Supplier To Xix Olympic Winter Games
CAMDEN, N.J., July 18, 2001 – “M’m! M’m! Good!” soups will warm up the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City. Campbell Soup Company (NYSE-CPB) today announced that it will become an Official Supplier for the XIX Olympic Winter Games. The Games, which will run February 8-24, will be the first held in the United States since Lake Placid in 1980.
Campbell President and Chief Executive Officer Douglas R. Conant made the announcement during an Olympic flag-raising ceremony at Campbell’s World Headquarters in New Jersey that marked the first time the company has been an official Olympic supplier. “This is a great example of Campbell putting our marketing effort behind exciting initiatives that connect with our consumers,” said Conant. “As the ‘Official Soup Supplier’, we are proud to nourish this year’s U. S. Olympic Team in their training efforts, just as we hope to nourish the dreams of kids who will be tomorrow’s U.S. Olympic hopefuls.”
Campbell also has pledged to generate $500,000 in funding to the U.S. Olympic Team via consumer purchases of specially labeled cans of America’s favorite soups. This initiative will be used by the U.S. Olympic Team to help U.S. athletes with their everyday training needs, including coaching, lodging and meals at USOC Training Centers.
Prior to the Olympic Winter Games, Campbell will promote its affiliation with the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games in advertising, at point-of-purchase, and on individual cans of Campbell’s® Chicken Noodle soup, America’s number one selling soup. Campbell will also provide food products to the hundreds of U.S. Olympic Team athletes who will be training right up to the opening of the Olympic Winter Games. Currently, U.S. Olympic hopefuls are preparing for the upcoming 2002 Olympic Winter Games at three U.S. Olympic Training Centers located in Lake Placid, N.Y., Colorado Springs, Col., and Chula Vista, Calif.
Mitt Romney, Salt Lake Organizing Committee President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Millions of families are brought together each day over a warm bowl of Campbell’s soup. We’re thrilled that Campbell will be on hand to ‘warm up’ the 2002 Games in Salt Lake City.”
In addition to Campbell’s® soup products, Franco-America® Pasta and Gravy, and Pace® Salsa and Picante sauces will be provided at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games. Campbell’s Foodservice Division will also provide Olympic food service suppliers with Campbell products. More than 75,000 visitors are expected to attend each day over the 17-day run of the Salt Lake 2002 Olympic Winter Games.
Every Olympic Games relies on thousands of volunteers in order to run smoothly. At Salt Lake, over 20,000 volunteers will also be a little bit warmer because they will be able to enjoy a warm bowl of Campbell’s “Soup To Go” microwaveable soup as a complement to the bag lunch they are issued each day.
Campbell will continue to supply the U.S. Olympic team through the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. Financial terms of the Official Supplier agreement were not released.
About Campbell Soup Company
Campbell Soup Company is a global manufacturer and marketer of high quality soup, sauce, beverage, biscuit, confectionery and prepared food products. The company owns a portfolio of more than 20 market-leading businesses each with more than $100 million in sales. They include “Campbell’s” soups worldwide, “Erasco” soups in Germany, “Liebig” soups in France, “Pepperidge Farm” cookies and crackers, “V8” and “V8 Splash” juices, “Pace” Mexican sauces, “Prego” pasta sauces, “Franco- American” pastas and gravies, “Swanson” broths, “Homepride” sauces in the United Kingdom, “Arnott’s” biscuits in Australia and “Godiva” chocolates around the world. The company also owns dry soup and sauce businesses in Europe under the “Batchelors,” “Oxo,” “Lesieur,” “Royco,” “Heisse Tasse,” “Blå Band” and “McDonnells” brands. The company is ably supported by 24,000 employees worldwide. For more information on the company, visit Campbell’s website on the Internet at www.campbellsoup.com.