When Pop Art and Fashion Collide… as if They Didn’t Already.

Most everyone is familiar with the Campbell’s Soup Cans Warhol began producing during the early 60’s. They would play a large role in altering the framework of visual advertising and the value put on the artisan behind the advert. However, a slightly lesser known fact about the cans are that they actually led Campbell’s to produce a dress in homage to the artist’s work.

Introducing “The Souper Dress!” Composed entirely of paper and ink, these dresses would run from 1966-1967 and featured the same style of label that Warhol mimicked, although there are no flavors visible on the design. It also had multiple stripes of goldenrod extending past the bottom which we don’t see in the photo, but this was implemented in order to allow the customer to cut the dress to a desired length evenly. In order to get the dress, one would have to mail two cutouts of various flavors and one dollar to the company in order to receive a dress. Despite Warhol claiming to have no advertising affiliation during the production of the cans, we would ultimately see the amalgamation of Pop and advertising take shape through the production of these dresses. The dresses were meant to be throwaways rather than a lasting garment, which works to reinforce the principles of Pop art… consume, throwaway, consume, throwaway… the American Dream!

The advertisement reads “Now’s your chance to get the one, the only Souper Dress… a smashing paper put-on that could only come from Campbell. It’s got eye-poppin’ Campbell’s cans coming and going! And it’s all yours for eating your vegetables… your Campbell’s Vegetable Soups that is.”

The Souper Dress would not only act as an example of art and advertising, it also made people look “M’m! M’m! Good!”

Featured image courtesy of MOMA’s Website