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Original poster

Kellie-Jay Keen is threatened with legal action by Campbell's over fundraising mug

30 replies

IwantToRetire · 13/09/2023 23:47

Multi-national food giant Campbell’s has threatened a women’s rights campaigner with legal action over a fundraising mug depicted in the style of a soup can.

The America-based firm - which boasts £7.5billion revenue a year- fired a threatening missive to Kellie-Jay Keen, 49, over items she sells on her Adult Human Female store.

They include a cup which bear’s the lettering ‘Posie’s courage tomato soup’ and an email badge featuring a cartoon tin.

Campbell's legal letter arrived last week and ordered her to stop using what it described as its 'soup can imagery' by September 22.

Mother-of-four Ms Keen decided to do a tin parody design after she had the liquid food thrown over her during a speaking tour of New Zealand.

She told MailOnline: 'I was surprised to receive the legal letter, it's always feels like a bit of a boot on the neck when a big corporation goes after you.

'I think it's scary that large corporations think it's better optics for their organisation to target women's rights campaigners.'

Full story in the DM (of course!) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12512799/Kellie-Jay-Keen-threatened-legal-action-Campbells-Soup.html

Kellie-Jay Keen threatened with legal action by Campbell's soup

Multi-national food giant Campbell's has threatened a women's rights campaigner with legal action over a fundraising mug depicted in the style of a soup can.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12512799/Kellie-Jay-Keen-threatened-legal-action-Campbells-Soup.html

OP posts:
nettie434 · 13/09/2023 23:53

I'm not a fan of KJK but I'd love to know if Andy Warhol got a similar letter when he did his famous Campbell's soup can painting.

WorkingItOutAsIGo · 13/09/2023 23:55

She’s a genius at coming up with ideas that get her publicity, isn’t she!

Original poster
IwantToRetire · 14/09/2023 00:17

nettie434 · 13/09/2023 23:53

I'm not a fan of KJK but I'd love to know if Andy Warhol got a similar letter when he did his famous Campbell's soup can painting.

Good point!

OP posts:
Datun · 14/09/2023 00:19

WorkingItOutAsIGo · 13/09/2023 23:55

She’s a genius at coming up with ideas that get her publicity, isn’t she!

She really is.

Making them look like an arrogant Goliath to her persecuted David, probably wasn't what the TRAs had in mind when they, no doubt, reported her to Campbells.

Still, now when I think of Campbell's soup, I think of it being used as a weapon.

So that's nice.

Original poster
IwantToRetire · 14/09/2023 00:20

Warhol used the Campbell's Soup logo without permission from the company for dozens of silkscreen prints. Eventually, Campbell's Soup tacitly approved of his use because of the free marketing they were receiving, but Warhol's use of their logo without initial permission was still appropriation.

https://journals.library.columbia.edu/index.php/lawandarts/announcement/view/112

OP posts:
IcakethereforeIam · 14/09/2023 00:38

Parodies of women, fill your boots.
Parodies of soup!?

AutumnCrow · 14/09/2023 00:40

I don't think any corporation, if they really think it through, wants to have itself associated with bullying women.

'Hey, our product is made by cowards, for a few bullies to use! The women who are supposed to actually buy it, to return a profit to the shareholders, well they can go fuck themselves!'

Nope, not really working for me as a top floor marketing strategy.

Anyway, glad Posie continues to get publicity. If I had the money I'd buy up all the remaining merch myself.

PorcelinaV · 14/09/2023 00:43

Apparently we do have a copyright exemption for parody.

It's not like she is in direct competition with a soup company and has taken their profits.

teawamutu · 14/09/2023 08:52

AutumnCrow · 14/09/2023 00:40

I don't think any corporation, if they really think it through, wants to have itself associated with bullying women.

'Hey, our product is made by cowards, for a few bullies to use! The women who are supposed to actually buy it, to return a profit to the shareholders, well they can go fuck themselves!'

Nope, not really working for me as a top floor marketing strategy.

Anyway, glad Posie continues to get publicity. If I had the money I'd buy up all the remaining merch myself.

And yet lots of companies are just fine with selling misogyny. From letting men in the women's changing rooms (Primark, John Lewis) to encouraging binder use in girls (Lush) to denigrating a DA survivor (Body Shop).

They'd prefer to bully a woman than stand up for them.

KJK is a bloody genius, the marketing equivalent of a chess grandmaster.

Pudmyboy · 14/09/2023 09:00

Well won't be buying Campbell's soup in the future that's for sure!

teawamutu · 14/09/2023 10:00

I'm buying a couple of bits from the SFW site this morning. Got my eye on a suffragette t-shirt.

TastesLikeStrawberriesOnASummerEvening · 14/09/2023 10:05

I have the soup postcard in my living room window, opposite the police station!
It's been there for ages.

EasternStandard · 14/09/2023 10:09

PorcelinaV · 14/09/2023 00:43

Apparently we do have a copyright exemption for parody.

It's not like she is in direct competition with a soup company and has taken their profits.

Good point

Good on her for getting publicity over it

Chersfrozenface · 14/09/2023 10:16

AutumnCrow · 14/09/2023 00:40

I don't think any corporation, if they really think it through, wants to have itself associated with bullying women.

'Hey, our product is made by cowards, for a few bullies to use! The women who are supposed to actually buy it, to return a profit to the shareholders, well they can go fuck themselves!'

Nope, not really working for me as a top floor marketing strategy.

Anyway, glad Posie continues to get publicity. If I had the money I'd buy up all the remaining merch myself.

Isn't Campbell a US corporation?

I'm not sure they'll be bothered about any possible loss of sales in the UK.

In the US, they can spin it as "standing up to gender bigots". US corps just love a bit of rainbow washing

Plasmodesmata · 14/09/2023 10:21

I'm inclined to think that it's just a copyright thing. Lots of corporations are quite fierce on this, even if it's silly.
Like Sainsbury's going after a little shop called Singhsburys.
And Vogue magazine threatening a pub (in a village called Vogue)

If Campbells are after a few more people to threaten with legal action they could go do a search on Etsy and see what comes up!

Monopause · 14/09/2023 10:25

Who buys Campbells tomato soup in this country? Heinz tomato all the way in this house! It’s not surprising they’ve come after her for copyright - some companies are quite vigilant and in some ways I’m not entirely unsympathetic. But if they go after her they should be going after a load of other people who have ‘been inspired’ by their soup can - or is it Andy Warhol they’re copying?

Obviously they’ve been put on to PP’s product and are choosing to virtue-signal with this. And they’re banking on her not wanting to fight an expensive lawsuit when she’s got better things to be spending her time on. Hopefully Campbell’s will hear some opinions on this that won’t exactly be complimentary. They should really back off from hearing about one of their products being used to physically assault a woman. If they don’t, it will kind of look like they’re proud of this association. Do you think they are? Is there some young gun within their PR department that thinks this is fantastic publicity for their brand? Makes you wonder doesn’t it…

StephanieSuperpowers · 14/09/2023 10:32

Well, so Campbell's is the soup of youthful melts and bearded men. Unfortunately, I can't add it to my boycott list, since I don't ever eat it anyway.

dimorphism · 14/09/2023 10:45

I wonder how they justify going after some people and not others when they're doing the same thing? Posie's merch looks more like an Andy Warhol ripoff than the can itself - so how can they justify going after her and not AW products? The tate has a bag with a copy of the AW can on at the moment, for sale, for example?

Ah yes, the answer will be misogyny of course.

Since she's not competing for the same market I can't see how they'd win.

Lovely sunlight and free advertising though.

Datun · 14/09/2023 11:00

So in order to justify copyright violation, you have to both be going after the same market?

So Posie would have to be pinching the soup buyers off Campbell's. Is that right?

Or are Campbell's really admitting that the people they are tailoring their marketing to are The Terven? 😁

I mean, they should be, obviously we are the soup buyers. But it's probably not what the TRAs had in mind 🤣

Plasmodesmata · 14/09/2023 11:31

No, you don't have to be going after the same market (see Vogue example, magazine vs pub).
And I think Andy Warhol probably was breaching copyright but they let him off because.....Andy Warhol.

Clymene · 14/09/2023 11:33

Well done to the TRAs who reported this to Campbells. Streisand effect in its full glory

Thisistyresome · 14/09/2023 11:44

I can't see how it would meet the tests for copywrite infringement. It is easily identifiable as not Campbells, it is obviously a parody. She should probably ask them to set out how they think her products impinge on theri copywrite, against each test. I would love to hear them justify how someone would buy her mug rather then a tin of soup. Even better to hear them try and justify it in court...

Yes m'lud, people who are looking for a £1.50 tin of soup will instead opt for a mug with no consumable contents...

JanesLittleGirl · 14/09/2023 12:03

Campbell's are seriously pissing up a stick with this one. There are hundreds of businesses offering Campbell's soup mugs. How about this one:

www.amazon.com/Campbells-Soup-Container-Removable-Cup/dp/B01DH58MOU/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?keywords=campbells+soup+mug&qid=1694688981&sr=8-3

It's almost as if they want to give her free publicity.

SnorkeMor · 14/09/2023 12:09

I had no idea about this until I saw this thread, so of course I’ve had to buy one of the mugs…

HorseySurprise · 14/09/2023 12:14

I don't buy Campbell's soup anyway (and I wouldn't now if I did) but I have treated myself to a Posie soup mug and pin badge.