What a brilliant idea. And it is one of the simplest I’ve seen in a long time.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and it seems like the whole world is pink. You name a category, and at least one big player is offering a pink version of whatever-it-is this month.

So why not a soup company? And why would that be interesting?

It’s because it’s Campbell’s we’re talking about, and the fact that their iconic red and white soup cans…aren’t red and white anymore.

Yes, this month they’re pink, and you have to go to Kroger’s to find them. Kroger bought double its usual stock of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle and Tomato varieties this month (those are the ones sporting the pink label and pink ribbon) to support its partnership with the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation. It’s a test program, and I think it will work. Wait to see lots more pink soup cans next October, on lots of retailers’ shelves.

We all know that linking with a cause works for brands. Our own CSR study, called “Doing Well By Doing Good,” finds that 67% of Americans believe that good corporate citizenship is a smart business strategy. That said, certain issues and causes may seem a little crowded. One might say this about breast cancer.

But Campbell’s move doesn’t seem me-too, or tired, or late to the discussion. Why is that? It’s because their red and white can, immortalized by Andy Warhol in the 70’s and barely changed since it was introduced 108 years ago, is just supposed to be red and white. The fact that this month it’s pink will turn heads and turns hearts—toward Campbell’s. Consumers will want to see these cans in their shopping carts and in their pantry. It will cause them to think differently about a brand they thought they knew.

That’s not just good cause marketing, it’s smart marketing period. And that’s exactly what the best cause marketing strategies are.