By Joe Cooney;| Courier-Post ;
CAMDEN – Happy birthday to Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.
The iconic lunch and dinner staple, originally called Campbell’s Condensed Noodle with Chicken Soup, turns 80 this year.
The soup was created in 1934 by Campbell’s head chef, Ernest Lacoutiere, as a tasty and affordable meal option. Cans originally sold for about 11 cents and soon found their way to household food pantries and cupboards all across the country.
“To this day, each can of Campbell’s Condensed Chicken Noodle Soup reflects the same values that went into its creation 80 years ago,” said Leah Dunmore, vice president, U.S. Soup, Campbell Soup Co.
“Everyone knows there’s nothing quite like the feeling of a heart-warming, delicious bowl of Chicken Noodle Soup.”
The name change came in 1938 when a radio program personality misread his advertisem*nt copy and called the product “chicken noodle soup.” Campbell’s said it started to receive large orders for its new product within days of the slip, as cans started flying off store shelves.
The soup remains one of the top 10 shelf-stable grocery items purchased in the U.S. In 2013, Americans bought more than 200 million cans of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle Soup.
How many cans have been sold since 1934? A Campbell’s spokeswoman said Tuesday she didn’t have a number.
Advertising slogans over the years have included: “You only have to call them once when there’s Chicken Noodle Soup for lunch;” “32 feet of noodles in every can;” and “When the mouth slurps, the belly smiles.”
The “32 feet of noodles” claim has, of course, been tested by doubting consumers and media outlets. However, a Google search reveals that when people actually took the time to lay the noodles end to end, they do indeed live up to their billing.
