When Andy Warhol immortalizes your packaging, it's probably best not to mess with it too much.
That's likely why it’s taken so long for the Campbell’s Soup Company to redesign its packaging, as they haven’t touched those iconic cans in around 50 years. And you can’t blame them for only making a few tweaks with its packaging refresh that they just announced today-from the looks of it, it probably won’t jump out to the average consumer.
The 50/50 red and white color block mercifully remains unchanged, as even the slighted alteration could result in grocery store-induced vertigo. However, they updated the brand’s logotype based on founder Joseph Campbell’s decidedly non-doctor scrawl signature. For the Campbell’s superfan, “Soup” gets a new font with a more slanted “O,” a callback to the first red and white can's letters used back in 1898. Additionally, the updated signature “C” makes another mirrored appearance in the fleur de lis next to “Soup.”
You’ll also find some ingredient photos thrown in as well, and the new packaging only extends to some of Campbell’s most popular products—Tomato Soup, Chicken Noodle, Cream of Chicken, and Cream of Mushroom. Of course, other products in the Campbell's range feature photography, but the core-four mostly keeps it pretty clean for 10.5oz offerings. Some brands go bold when it comes to a redesign. Others elect to prune gently for fear of doing too much. That's the case with plenty of CPG brands, and they usually do so with little fanfare. Hell, sometimes they don't even tell you. You roll up to the grocery store, and, voila, you've got tilt-your-head-and-it’s-kinda-new-looking Doritos.
“We’ve been on a journey to reimagine this iconic brand and appeal to new generations of consumers who are cooking at home more than ever while still honoring our rich history,” said Linda Lee, chief marketing officer of meals and beverages at Campbell Soup Company, in a press release.
However, the brand is fully wilding out when it comes to the NFT space, as they partnered with artist Sophia Chang for 100 authenticated pieces that will get sold on NTWRK in addition to one animated work on OpenSea. “Some of the most famous pop art ever created was inspired by the Campbell’s red and white can—the design is as much a staple of the grocery aisle as it is American culture,” said Chang in the same press release. “As a visual storyteller, I always look for new ways to express creativity. I wanted to hero the beloved label with keywords that connect to the brand for me while including a photo-real element of the fresh label to celebrate the new design.”
“The commissioning of our first-ever NFT art piece pays tribute to our place in art and pop culture while celebrating in the most modern art medium to date. Sophia was a natural choice given her street art sensibility and her love of the Campbell’s brand and its connection to the art world,” said Lee
Anyhow, if you’re looking for a more aggressive redesign with a green and white chicken soup can(!), go and check out Kel Lauren’s YouTube page. Until then, you get a little more of the same, and that’s OK.