Quite apart from the enormous impact Paul Newman had on the silver screen both as an actor and director, he has been an everyday part of our lives on our supermarket shelves and in our cupboards and fridges.
Paul Newman from Exodus (1960)
Newman’s Own is the food company founded (on a lark) by the late great Paul Newman and his buddy A. E. Hotchnerin in 1982. Starting from a range of salad dressings the brand now encompasses over 150 products across food and beverages. Since it started, the company has donated over $250m from its after tax profits, to a range of causes, with the most notable being The Hole in the Wall Gang Camp.
Grocery Marketing in 1987 reported that the success of Newman’s Own appeared to be due to the combination of the popular Paul Newman image on the product labels, a strong public relations effort, and quality products that inspired repeat sales. This is a good message to any marketeer and business.
By all reports, Newman remained actively involved in the business until recently; choosing and approving charitable and educational donations, tasting new products, acting as a spokesperson and even writing ad copy. As he once told a New York Times reporter, ‘If we stop having fun, we’re closing up shop.’
Vale Paul Newman an FMCG Legend, whose face we will continue to see on our shelves for many years to come.
Tim
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