Who introduced SpaghettiOs for Campbell's Franco-American brand?

Donald Goerke introduced SpaghettiOs for Campbell’s Franco-American brand.

Goerke was a Campbell Soup Company executive and marketing researcher working in the Franco-American division. In the early 1960s, he was assigned to develop a canned pasta that children could eat more easily and with less mess than long strands of spaghetti.

The team considered several novelty shapes, including stars, sports forms, cowboys, and space-themed designs. The ring-shaped pasta won out because it held up well during canning and reheating, could be eaten neatly with a spoon, and was less awkward for children than fork-twirled spaghetti.

SpaghettiOs launched nationally in 1965 with memorable television advertising and the “Uh-Oh, SpaghettiOs” jingle. Goerke later became known as “the Daddy-O of SpaghettiOs.” He worked for Campbell for 35 years and was associated with more than 100 products, including Campbell’s Chunky soup line. He is sometimes confused with food-company founders such as Hector Boiardi, but Boiardi created Chef Boyardee, not SpaghettiOs.