Uh-oh. "The neat round spaghetti you can eat with a spoon" turned 50. Hard to believe that SpaghettiOs, a childhood favorite have been around that long, but Campbell Soup Co. is using the enduring brand's 50th anniversary as a way to boost sales by appealing to adults' fond memories of eating the spoonable, round pasta immersed in sweet tomato sauce and packed in a can when they were kids. For two months beginning on Aug. 18 Campbell will be running a social media-only campaign, named “The BIG FiveO 50th Birthday Celebration,” featuring party games, contests, themed postings and other promotions.
The party is being primarily featured on Facebook, Twitter and Snapfluence.com, with prizes, gift giveaways and "other surprises," according to Campbell. SpaghettiOs fans can buy limited-edition 50th birthday cans in the original and meatball flavors. Originally branded Franco-American SpaghettiOs, the brand has included versions such as SpaghettiOs Calcium, RavioliOs, and Sliced Franks. There are five more versions that have oddly shaped pasta, such as letters and other shapes. Campbell also reports that its chefs have created a red velvet cupcake made with SpaghettiOs, and will provide the recipe.
The social site outreach via Snapfluence.com indicates the campaign is about celebrating the iconic brand, waxing nostalgic, relating fond memories of eating the pastas as a kid and how SpaghettiOs are being positioned as snacks with light-hearted, topical tie-ins to current holidays and events.
