Donald Goerke, Campbell Soup executive behind SpaghettiOs and Chunky soups, dies at 83
By APWednesday, January 13, 2010
SpaghettiOs creator Donald Goerke dies at 83
DELRAN, N.J. — The Campbell Soup Co. executive who was behind the enduring brands SpaghettiOs and Chunky Soup has died.
Donald Goerke (GUHR’-kee) was 83. A Campbell spokesman confirmed that Goerke died of heart failure Sunday at his home in Delran in southern New Jersey.
Goerke was marketing research director of Campbell’s Franco-American line in the early 1960s when his group started dreaming up pasta in shapes that would appeal to kids. He chose the o’s. They were marketed with the unforgettable tagline, “Uh-oh, SpaghettiOs.”
Later, he helped introduce Chunky Soup, a hearty ready-to-serve soup that stood out from the company’s traditional line of condensed soups.
The Waukesha, Wis., native worked for Camden-based Campbell for 35 years, retiring in 1990.
