The iconic Campbell's Condensed Soup brand will disappear from UK shelves for good next March, The Grocer can reveal.

The 110-year-old soup brand - made famous by Andy Warhol's 1960s pop art prints - is to be rebranded as Batchelors and will carry a 'Soon to be Batchelors' message from next week.

The move, which includes the rebrand of Campbell's Meatballs as Fray Bentos, comes as brand owner Premier Foods tries to stem falling sales of Campbell's and introduce condensed soup to a wider audience.

"Campbell's has an older customer profile," said marketing controller Stefan Kerridge. "We're hoping to attract more consumers by using the Batchelors brand. If we didn't already have strong relevant brands such as Batchelors and Fray Bentos to move the Campbell's products into, then I would be concerned."

Recipes would not initially be changed, but in the long term Premier would put more resources behind the newly enlarged Batchelors range, said Kerridge. Though Premier was aware of the heritage of Campbell's in the UK, research had indicated there was more consumer trust in Batchelors and this would help drive sales, he added.

Year-on-year sales of Campbell's Condensed Soup fell 10.8% to £8.9m for the 52 weeks to 7 October 2006, according to The Grocer Top Products Survey, and the range is now worth £9.1m, representing a 93% share of the condensed sector.

Iain Ellwood, head of strategy at brand consultancy Interbrand, said it was the end of a brand icon but Premier was right to back Batchelors. "We may think of it as a cultural icon but a customer is not thinking that when buying soup."

Premier bought Campbell's UK from US-based Campbell Food Company in August 2006 as part of a £460m deal, which included Batchelors, Oxo and Fray Bentos. But it only acquired a licence to use the Campbell's trademark in the UK until mid-2008.

Campbell Soup Company said it had no plans to license the Campbell's trademark to another UK business once the deal ended.