The Discontinued Campbell's Pasta So Good, Fans Made A Facebook Page To Bring It Back (Sorry, Chef Boyardee)

Canned pasta is one of those items that takes you back to days when life was easier and we smiled a lot more. That's why Campbell's discontinuation of RavioliOs led unhappy customers to express their frustrations in a Facebook group. As fans of the canned beef-stuffed pasta noticed it was getting harder to find in stores, they took to the internet, and the soup company ultimately confirmed to a shopper in the group via email that RavioliOs are no longer being produced. One vocal commenter said Campbell's purchased Franco-American (the original company behind RavioliOs and SpaghettiOs) to ruin it. And if you think the displeasure stopped at Facebook, think again. One content creator on YouTube equated Campbell's decision to Chrysler discontinuing the Charger and Challenger.

How does phasing out kids' canned food result in such ire? Well, that has to do with remembering the past. RavioliOs was first introduced decades ago under the Franco-American brand, the brand Campbell's acquired in 1915 and used to separate other types of canned food from Campbell's soup lines. Today, that line no longer exists but many still remember the Franco-American battle and eventual loss to Chef Boyardee as one of the fiercest brand rivalries of the 80s. Franco-American's products included SpaghettiOs, RavioliOs, and MacaroniOs. Campbell's officially retired the Franco-American brand in 2004 and started producing the brand's more successful products under the Campbell's name. SpaghettiOs and RavioliOs made the cut (at the time) and continued to reel in kids with promises of fun food as they had since the 80s, when the products were known for appearing in commercials during Saturday morning cartoons.

When comparing RavioliOs to Chef Boyardee's Beef Ravioli, the first thing you'll notice is the difference in shape. The chef's raviolis are square in shape with the classic crimped edges, while RavioliOs were round with flat seals enclosing the beef inside. That round shape gave the perception of having more beef than its competitor. The other difference is in the tomato sauce. Chef Boyardee sauce is sweet and dark red, while RavioliOs had a tangier sauce with a thicker consistency for a more satisfying meal. Of course, much of this is perception, and what it comes down to is that we loved it as kids and turn to it as a comfort food as adults.

Nostalgia drives many of our choices. If you were to look at my cupboard you'd find a box of Lucky Charms (one of the classic Monster cereals if we're close to Halloween). That's why RavioliOs going away struck such a nerve. So many grew up preferring RavioliOs to Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli, even when the latter ranks highly within its own product line. It's really no surprise people rallied behind a Facebook group letting Campbell's know it's taking away something people value. Nostalgia, after all, is often considered one of the best ways to build brand loyalty.