Campbell Soup Company and Singer Toni Braxton Team Up to Shine the Spotlight on Heart Health

Campbell Soup Company and Singer Toni Braxton Team Up to Shine the Spotlight on Heart Health

Toni Braxton to Kick Off Heart Month by Wearing Special Red Dress Created by Designer Lisa Perry; America to Choose Dress to Help Raise Funds for American Heart Association's Go Red For Women

NEW YORK, Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- The fight against heart disease, the number one killer of women, is an issue Campbell Soup Company keeps close to its heart. In 2008, Campbell is teaming up with six-time Grammy-award winner Toni Braxton and designer Lisa Perry to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement. Perry created three exclusive Campbell's red dress designs, and America is invited to vote on its favorite by visiting http://www.goredwithcampbells.com/ from December 20, 2007 - January 30, 2008. For each vote cast, Campbell will donate $1 to the American Heart Association (up to $100,000). The winning design will be unveiled by Braxton at the Woman's Day Red Dress Awards to kick off American Heart Month (February).

Braxton was diagnosed with pericarditis, a form of heart disease, in her early 30s. Today, she leads a full and rewarding life and wants to help educate others. "As a survivor of heart disease, I am proud to work with Campbell to support the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement to raise awareness and funds for a cause that is quite literally close to my heart," said Braxton. "When I was diagnosed, I had to make important, long-term diet and lifestyle changes. I hope my involvement with this campaign will emphasize the importance of identifying and reducing heart disease risk factors and motivate others to take action to protect their health."

Pop Art from the Heart: Lisa Perry Donates Designs

Known for her "pop-art" designs and bright colors, Perry is a passionate collector of vintage couture who is inspired by bold imagery from the 1960's. In the three red dresses she created, Perry united the red dress as a universal symbol for women and heart health, with Campbell's rich red dress history. Since the 1920's, women in red dresses were often featured in ads for Campbell's soup; in the 1960's, Campbell created a tent-style paper dress premium that featured iconic red and white soup labels. It originally sold for $1 and two proofs of purchase; today it's a collector's item, selling for up to $13,000 at prestigious auction houses.

Perry in fact, owns one of the historical Campbell's pop-art paper dresses. "I grew up loving Campbell's soup and I have a strong connection to the 1960's iconic pop-art soup can image," she said. "It is truly an honor to donate my time and talents to help Campbell raise awareness of heart disease."

Campbell's Commitment to Health and Wellness

Campbell has pledged a multi-year commitment to raise more than $1.8 million for the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement. But Campbell's commitment to heart health begins with the foods it makes. "As part of Campbell's long standing commitment to health and wellness, we've offered heart-healthy soups and beverages for more than 25 years," said Kelly Berrie, Business Director for Campbell's Wellness Team. "Supporting the American Heart Association's Go Red For Women movement is a natural extension of our efforts to nourish people's lives and provide them with easy, great-tasting ways to eat right to help protect their health."

"With today's busy lifestyles, it's important for people to have heart-healthy food options that are convenient and taste good so it's easier for them to eat better and live healthier," said registered dietitian and author, Elizabeth Somer. "That's why heart-healthy varieties of soups, beverages and sauces that feature the American Heart Association's heart-check mark are terrific choices."

More than 60 Campbell products meet the government criteria for "healthy" foods and display the American Heart Association's heart-check mark. These include 24 Campbell's(R) Healthy Request(R) soups, which have added a one-of-a-kind lower sodium natural sea salt to deliver great taste with up to 50% less sodium than their original counterparts, and V8(R) 100% vegetable juice which reduced the sodium content last year to meet heart-healthy standards.

Visit http://www.goredwithcampbells.com/ for more information on Campbell products, tips for leading a heart-healthy lifestyle, and for a variety of healthy recipes.

About Campbell Soup Company

Campbell Soup Company is a global manufacturer and marketer of high quality foods and simple meals, including soup, baked snacks, vegetable-based beverages, and premium chocolate products, with annual revenues in excess of $7.8 billion. Founded in 1869, the company has a portfolio of market-leading brands, including "Campbell's," "Pepperidge Farm," "Arnott's," "V8," and "Godiva." For more information on the company, visit Campbell's website at http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/.

About Go Red For Women

Go Red For Women captures the energy, passion, and intelligence of women to work collectively to wipe out heart disease - the No. 1 killer of women. Today, we want millions of women across America to take heart disease personally. Since 2004, The American Heart Association has fostered Go Red to grow from a grassroots campaign into a vibrant national movement. Using the simple platform "Love Your Heart," Go Red For Women engages these women -- and the men who love them -- to embrace the cause. Healthcare providers, celebrities, and politicians also elevate the cause and spread the word about women and heart diseases. For more information about Go Red For Women, please call 1-888-MY-HEART (1-888-694-3278) or visit http://www.goredforwomen.org/.

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FCMN Contact:

Source: Campbell Soup Company

CONTACT: Juli Mandel Sloves of Campbell Soup Company, +1-856-342-3717,
Juli_mandel_sloves@campbellsoup.com; or Michelle Martin of Weber Shandwick,
+1-312-988-2057, mmartin@webershandwick.com, for Campbell Soup Company

Web site: http://www.campbellsoupcompany.com/
http://www.goredwithcampbells.com/
http://www.goredforwomen.org/

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Profile: International Entertainment