Coronavirus: Campbell’s celebrates ‘being together, until we’re together again’

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Pic: GettyImages/Manuel Tauber-Romieri

Campbell’s has aired a national TV spot that celebrates moments of togetherness and comfort at a time when people are craving both more than ever.

According to the Pepperidge Farm and Goldfish Cracker owner, its priority is taking care of its employees and their families. But equally important are the needs of its customers, consumers and communities who are counting on it for food, support and comfort.

The montage shows ways people are coming together – while maintaining social distancing – to share a meal with one another. 

“The most important thing to know right now is that everything we do starts with the health and safety of our teams and their families,” said Campbell CEO Mark Clouse.

In a letter to employees, Clouse wrote: “I can’t emphasise enough the importance of the heroic efforts of our teams at our manufacturing plants, distribution centres and instore field-based sales, as they work to ensure our neighbours have food during this critical time.

“As we ask our people to step up to the challenge of meeting the increased demand for food, it’s only right that we reward and recognise the critical role they are playing in maintaining the North American food supply.”

Called ‘We all want a house with a crowded table’, the 45-second spot was created by Leo Burnett and features the song Crowded Table by The Highwomen.

It will be airing on NBC, CBS and ABC, as well as streaming platforms Roku, YouTube, hulu and PLUTOTV, until May 3.

‘Our important role in this crisis’

“However, the mission can’t end there,” added Clouse.

“We have an incredibly important role to play in this crisis and in our communities, providing food.”

The soup and snacking giant has also contributed around $3.5m in cash and food to local food banks, pantries and community organizations in 33 Campbell hometowns across the country.

“The increased need for shelf-stable food has been a consistent request from food banks in the wake of this pandemic,” said Kim Fortunato, VP of Community Affairs and president of The Campbell Soup Foundation.

“We’ll continue to work with them to determine which products are most needed and dedicate production runs to meet their needs.”

The Camden, New Jersey-headquartered company added an assurance that the coronavirus is not considered a food safety concern, and consumers are at no risk of contracting the coronavirus from any food product.

It said, “The CDC and the USDA state there is no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 as a foodborne pathogen and the FDA is not aware of any reports of transmission through food or food packaging. We will continue to comply with all requirements and guidelines regarding sourcing and trade of material set by the relevant authorities.

‘Campbell has been a leader in the food industry for more than 150 years, and people can be confident that our food is as safe as it has always been.”