Dive Brief:
- The Campbell’s Company is partnering with Pabst Blue Ribbon on beer-flavored soups as the CPG giant benefits from more consumers eating at home.
- The Chunky soups will be available exclusively at Walmart starting this month. The soups come in two flavors: Beer Cheese with Potatoes and Chorizo; and Beef, Bacon and Beer Chili with Beans. Shoppers are encouraged to consume the soup from the can or use the new beer-flavored offering as a topping on a hot dog or nachos.
- Campbell’s launched Chunky soup 55 years ago, with the product geared toward men, according to the company’s website. The product became the official soup of the NFL in 1997.
Dive Insight:
Consumer demand for soups has been increasing as inflation-weary shoppers prepare meals at home. Campbell’s said in June that the company’s wet soup portfolio posted its sixth consecutive quarter of volume share growth driven by household gains, particularly among younger people.
The latest soup launch with Pabst Blue Ribbon enables Campbell’s to further capitalize on those tailwinds by providing consumers with a new reason to try Chunky. The new offering also allows the brand to double down on its connection with men through the soup’s association with beer.
“This is the ultimate flavor collaboration,” Ryan Pawling, senior brand manager for Chunky, said in a statement. “Our fans love bold, unexpected taste experiences, and pairing Chunky’s hearty recipes with the iconic, malty flavor of PBR brings something totally unique to the soup aisle.”
By adding the storied beer offering, Chunky will stand out from competitors, such as General Mills’ Progresso. Campbell’s likely hopes shoppers who decide to try the soup because of the PBR partnership will become new or more regular users of Chunky or its namesake brand.
Progresso hasn’t stood still either when it comes to innovation in soup. Earlier this month, the brand debuted Progresso Pitmaster, a line of BBQ-inspired soups that include meat, roasted vegetables and high-protein content.
“We’ve been focused for some time now on shaking up the soup aisle to deliver new and different choices to appeal to more people,” said María Carolina Comings, business unit director at General Mills.