The Statement
AAP FactCheck examined a Facebook post from July 12, 2019 which features a screenshot of an individuals complaint to Campbells Soup about a 2015 soup advertisement featuring a same-sex couple feeding their son.
The screenshot is of a complaint made on Facebook by a user called Kim Spears Cook, which reads: Your new commercial with the 2 dads makes me sick.
Below the comment is a response, made by a user called Customer Service, with a Campbells Soup can as its profile picture. The response reads:
Hi Kim! If youre feeling sick, we suggest enjoying a delicious can of Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup. Make sure to enjoy it hot, so that it can help warm up your cold, dead heart.
The July 12, 2019 post, by an Australian user, has been shared more than 24,000 times and attracted 12 comments.
The Analysis
Campbell Soup Company is an American food and drinks multinational that was founded in 1869. The companys canned soup featured in an iconic artwork created by artist Andy Warhol in 1962.
In 2015, Campbells launched an advertisement campaign in collaboration with the J.J Abrams-directed Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
The advertisement featured two fathers feeding their young son Campbells soup while impersonating Darth Vaders famous I am your father line from 1980s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.
The Campbells advertisement ends with the line, Made for real, real life.
When unveiling the new advertising campaign in 2015, Campbells vice president of marketing Yin Woon said the company wanted to show actual families, which means families of different configurations, cultures, races and life choices.
The advertising campaign attracted criticism from some socially conservative groups and customers upset at the use of a same-sex couple.
One criticism came from Kim Spears Cook, whose comment on Campbells Facebook wall: Your new commercial with the 2 dads makes me sick was met with the response from "Customer Service".
"Customer Service", which featured Warhols Campbells soup artwork as its profile picture, that Kim might try "a delicious can of Campbells Chicken Noodle Soup" if feeling sick. The response ended with: "Make sure to enjoy it hot, so that it can help warm up your cold, dead heart.
American fact-check organisation Snopes confirmed in November 2015 that Campbells had no connection to the Customer Service account, which Snopes revealed was run by comedians Ben Palmer and Nick Price.
In an email to Snopes, Campbells confirmed that the Facebook account shown in the screen grab is not connected to Campbells Soup in any way.
Additionally, Campbells does not have a separate Facebook account to respond to online comments or complaints and instead responds directly from the verified Campbells account.
The Verdict
As was confirmed by Snopes in November 2015, the response to Kim Spears Cook from the Customer Service account was made by two comedians and not by Campbells.
False The Facebook post is false.
First published September 2, 2019 16:40 AEST
