FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASECONTACT: Beth
Jolly
Brian McCarthy CAMPBELL’S CHUNKY SOUP LAUNCHES UNPRECENTED NFL DRAFT CAMPAIGN TO KICK OFF RENEWAL OF ITS NFL SPONSORSHIP Campbell's to Promote Year-Round NFL Marquee Events Including NFL Draft, NFL Kickoff, Thanksgiving, Super Bowl and Pro Bowl Camden, NJ, and New York, April 19, 2004 … Are you ready for more soup with your football? And not just during the NFL season? Campbell Soup Company announced today that it will extend and broaden its sponsorship and year-round promotion of the National Football League, ensuring that Campbell’s® Chunky brand is the official soup sponsor of the NFL through the 2006 season. The new three-year agreement extends the partnership between Chunky and the NFL that has existed since 1998. Additionally, Campbell’s Chunky brand will launch Chunky Chili this fall, and it will become the official chili sponsor of the NFL. More than 4,000 fans attending the Draft at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden will be among the first in the country to try Campbell’s Chunky Chili. The product hits the shelves as the draft picks hit the field in September for the start of the 2004 season. As part of the renewal, Campbell’s Chunky Soup will leverage expanded rights and integrated promotional platforms throughout the year, including support for the first time of the NFL Draft and NFL Kickoff. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. The renewal commences with unprecedented support of the 2004 NFL Draft slated for April 24-25. Campbell’s Chunky Soup becomes the official soup of the NFL Draft. Campbell’s Chunky Soup will be exclusively presenting the “CLICK FOR YOUR TOP PICK” on-line promotion, which allows fans to vote at NFL.com for the player they think will be the NFL’s number one draft pick. Campbell’s Chunky Soup will donate 10,000 cans of soup to a local food bank in the city of the number one pick’s team. The donation will be presented to the top pick during his press conference on Draft day and be covered by ESPN, which is broadcasting the Draft. Campbell’s promotion of the NFL Draft will be supported by an aggressive multi-media campaign:
Campbell will also sponsor a hospitality and panel discussion event, “Tackling the NFL Draft: A Player’s Perspective,” Thursday, April 22 at Tavern on the Green in New York. The event will feature the Mannings (former great Archie and his sons Peyton, quarterback of the Indianapolis Colts and Eli, among the top quarterbacks in this year’s draft), New York Jets quarterback Chad Pennington, and his mother and former Denver Broncos’ running back Terrell Davis. It will be hosted by Sterling Sharpe, the former Green Bay Packers standout and current NFL Network analyst. The company will also sponsor the media luncheon Friday, April 23 at Chelsea Piers. Media will have the opportunity to interview some of the top draft prospects who will be on-site at the Draft. Following the Draft, Campbell’s will be among the partners for NFL Kickoff, the league’s campaign to celebrate the beginning of the season. “This partnership has been powerful because it has brought together two American icons – Campbell’s Soup and the National Football League,” said Sean Connolly, VP & GM, Soup. “Our NFL partnership has been an important contributor to the marketplace success of our Chunky brand for the past six years and we intend to build on the success by expanding our efforts beyond the football season.” “We are pleased to expand our
partnership with Campbell Soup Company,” said Peter Murray, NFL vice
president of sales and marketing. “Campbell’s commitment to our calendar
initiatives will further enhance our presence year-round.” About Campbell Soup CompanyCampbell Soup Company is global manufacturer and marketer of high quality soup, sauces, beverages, biscuits, confectionery and prepared food products. The Company is 135 years old, with $7 billion in annual sales and a portfolio of more than 20 market-leading brands. The company is ably supported by 25,000 full-time employees worldwide. For more information on the company, visit Campbell’s website on the Internet at www.campbellsoup.com. # # # |