Campbell’s sparks mixed reactions with candles inspired by Thanksgiving side dishes

With the holidays fast approaching, Campbell’s is launching a new collection of scented candles – inspired by Thanksgiving side dishes.

On October 28, the canned food producer announced it would be partnering with family experience company CAMP to create Campbell’s Limited Edition Candle Collection: The Scents of Sides Season. The collection comes with four scented candles inspired by some fan-favorite side dishes at your annual Thanksgiving table.

One candle is The Green Bean Casserole, inspired by the recipe for the dish first introduced by Campbell’s in 1995. The scent of the candle includes notes of cream and celery, aromas of fried onion and mushroom, and a base of buttery green beans. The second savory candle is the slightly divisive offering of Jalapeño Cheddar Mac & Cheese.

The Apple, Fennel & Herb Stuffing candle also smells like fennel, thyme, and rosemary, while the Everything Bagel-Seasoned Mashed Potatoes candle has a buttery scent with notes of garlic.

Campbell’s four candles will be available on Camp’s website on November 18, just in time for the holidays. The collection of the scents retails for $30.

When food blogger Markie Devo promoted the news candles on Instagram, people went on the comments to share their mixed thoughts, with some saying they loved the idea of the food-centric scents.

“Okay but this low-key sounds great,” one wrote, while another commented: “Ok this is awesome.”

“This is fantastic,” a third wrote. “Love the idea and humor.”

However, others were less fond of the idea.

“These are for looks in my house. No way I’m lighting a green bean casserole candle. But sitting on a kitchen shelf? Absolutely,” one wrote.

“Savory scented candles? Hard pass!” another commented, while a third agreed: “Who asked for this? No, thank you!!”

The announcement of Campbell’s candle collection came after the brand released its annual State of the Sides Report, which looks at Americans’ food preferences at their holiday dinner tables. Results found that more than 55 percent of respondents said they’d rather fill up on side dishes than the usual star of the meal, a turkey.

“For generations, Campbell’s has been at the center of holiday traditions and tables, bringing flavor to family tables across the country,” Marci Raible, Vice President, Integrated Marketing, at Campbell’s said in a press release. “As we celebrate the third year of our State of the Sides Report, it’s clear that side dishes are the cornerstone of holiday meals and memories—and Campbell’s is an essential ingredient in creating these beloved dishes.”

Meanwhile, 60 percent of respondents in the 2024 report said they find more joy in cooking side dishes than preparing a turkey, while 40 percent of people said they’d be happy eating only side dishes.

45 percent of respondents said they love comforting, creamy dishes. Among the respondents who are a part of Generation Z, ages 18 through 27, 45 percent of them said Mac and Cheese is their favorite side dish during the holiday season.

Campbell’s previously teamed up with CAMP to create scented candles for the holidays, including a Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese one and a Chicken Noodle Soup one.