Synopses & Reviews
First sketched by Gebbie Drayton in 1904, the Campbell Kids have endured for decades, in everything from streetcar ads and magazine layouts to dolls and animated commercials. The rosy-cheeked, cherub-faced youngsters have grown with America, reflecting its cultural shifts and expressing its ideals and aspirations. Charmingly innocent, plucky, and playful, they struck poses as Rosie the Riveter during World War II and flower children wearing tie-dye and holding peace signs in the 1960s. They have promoted the Red Cross, inspired Americans to buy war bonds and conserve electricity, and even promoted children's self-esteem.
In the process, the Campbell Kids became more than a trademark of Campbell's Soup; they became true American icons, embodying goodness and wholesome living. As the famous kids celebrate their 100th birthday, collectors of memorabilia and Americana will delight in this decade-by-decade trip through the lives of the Campbell Kids, the company they represented, and the country they came to symbolize.
Synopsis
- Campbell's Soup is one of the most beloved foods in America
- The Campbell's Kids are celebrating their 100 birthday in 2004
- This book will appeal to memorabilia collectors
- an accessible history of the company as it mirrored changes in America over the past century
- Campbell's is promoting the Campbell kids all year, from recent appearances on the Today Show and Fox News to having rung the bell for the Stock Exchange in January to a national contest for which the winner will be announced (1 boy and 1 girl from every state) in the final quarter of the year (the winners will be ideal, modern Campbell kids). Also, they are exhibiting the Campbell kids at Copia in Napa Valley in 2004 and are final discussions with the Smithsonian for an exhibit for late 2004 (updates forthcoming, it would be a traveling exhibit).
About the Author
Aric Chen is a freelance writer in New York whose work has appeared in The New York Times, New York magazine, GQ, Elle, House & Garden, and the book American Dream: The Houses at Sagaponac.