Through the cold winter months, many consumers find themselves craving the warmth and comfort of soup.

In November 2022, Portland, Ore.-based Pacific Foods worked with Arlington, Va.-based Wakefield Research to survey 2,000 Gen Z and Millennial adults in the United States on their soup consumption in relation to comfort.

The study found a strong correlation between heartbreak and soup cravings, as 88% of respondents said they would turn to a bowl of soup for comfort while going through a breakup.

The study also found that 59% of those surveyed had personally experienced or knew someone who had gone through a breakup in December, making that month the top breakup month of the year.

To put these results to use, Pacific Foods partnered with Nick Viall, a podcast and television personality who rose to fame after starring in The Bachelor, to create the Pacific Foods Broken Hearts Soup-port Kit that was available for a limited time in December 2022.

“Throughout my life, I’ve experienced the highs and lows of love and through my experiences, I’ve gained lessons along the way,” Viall said. “That’s why I teamed up with Pacific Foods to curate the limited time only Broken Hearts Soup-port Kit. No matter what stage you’re in post-relationship, we picked the perfect lineup of comforting soups to fit your mood and get you through even the messiest of breakups. My personal favorite? It’s Not Me, It’s You Chicken Noodle Soup! Nothing beats a classic, with a twist.”

Source: Sunny Park, Business Wire

The three cleverly named flavors that Pacific Foods included in the kit were chosen based on the most popular soup flavors from the survey results. The breakup-related soup names were the following:

• It’s Not Me, It’s You Chicken Noodle Soup
• Broken Heart(y) Vegetable Soup
• Seeing Red Tomato Bisque

“At Pacific Foods, we take great care to craft warm, nourishing soups that are the perfect foods for nursing even the toughest heart break,” said Tim Goldsmid, vice president of marketing at Pacific Foods. “Whether you are going through a breakup or simply looking to curl up with your favorite comfort food, Pacific Foods and its Broken Hearts Soup-port Kit is there for you through the good times and the bad.”

While this particular promotion was for canned soup products, the unique way Pacific Foods expanded on a connection that was already there to appeal even more to younger generations shows just how creative retail deli departments can get with their instore promotions as well.

Supermarkets do not have to just stick to the traditional seasonal promotions centered around national holidays. A connection found between breakups and soup is more than enough of a starting point.