Campbell's becomes the official soup brand of the Toronto Maple Leafs and signs on forward Ilya Mikheyev

TORONTO, Feb. 26, 2020 /CNW/ - It's Official: Ilya "Souperman" Mikheyev is named Campbell Canada's Chief Soup Officer. After proclaiming his love of soup, Toronto Maple Leafs player Ilya Mikheyev has just signed a deal with Campbell Canada, the nation's most beloved brand of soup.

Toronto Maple Leafs' Ilya Mikheyev is named Campbell Canada's Chief Soup Officer (CNW Group/Campbell Company of Canada)

Toronto Maple Leafs' Ilya Mikheyev is named Campbell Canada's Chief Soup Officer (CNW Group/Campbell Company of Canada)

It all started with a post-game interview, where Mikheyev was asked about his biggest challenges of moving to Toronto from his native Russia. The first was English as a second language, and the second, why aren't Canadians eating enough soup? He said in an interview, "Yes. I like soup. I don't know why you don't eat soup."

Mikheyev's statement quickly went viral, with the winger being dubbed by fans and teammates as "Souperman" or "Soupy". Many memes and light-hearted gifs made their rounds on popular social media platforms, inspiring fans to dig into their favourite soups. Fans even created a celebratory move for Mikheyev where each time he scores a goal, they pretend to slurp a big spoon of soup.

It wasn't long after that fans on social media and major daily newspapers began calling for a partnership between Mikheyev and Campbell's. Campbell Canada heeded the calls, opening the door for a natural and organic partnership with the Maple Leafs player that will include digital advertising, social media, game integration, in-store point of sale signage, contesting and appearances.

"It made sense. He's a great guy, and really well-loved by his teammates and fans," says Kristen Knox, Director of Marketing at Campbell Canada. "Hockey and soup are such Canadian staples, and when these worlds came together, there was no question we wanted to work with Mikheyev. His passion for the sport and everything from our Classic Chicken Noodle to Creamy Tomato Soup is genuine. When you have something like that, it's a winning combination that can't be ignored. The Toronto Maple Leafs were able to bring it all together with some fun activations planned for the rest of the hockey season."

"An organic partnership, such as this one with Campbell's, is always our goal," said Jordan Vader, Vice President, Global Partnerships at MLSE. "When a partnership aligns with our team, and especially a player, it resonates more with our fans and they are able to truly enjoy all the benefits that come with it."

Whether nourishing athletes or feeding families, Campbell's has a soup variety to satisfy any craving.

Social media handles:
Ilya Mikheyev @souperman65
Campbell Canada @CampbellCanada

About Campbell Company of Canada
Campbell (NYSE:CPB) is driven and inspired by our Purpose, "Real food that matters for life's moments." For generations, people have trusted Campbell to provide authentic, flavourful and affordable snacks, soups and simple meals, and beverages. Founded in 1869, Campbell has a heritage of giving back and acting as a good steward of the planet's natural resources. The company is a member of the Standard and Poor's 500 and FTSE4Good Indexes. A subsidiary of Campbell Soup Company, Campbell Company of Canada has a long heritage of nourishing Canadians since 1930. For more information, visit www.campbellsoup.ca

SOURCE Campbell Company of Canada

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