First Warhol, now Filip Yip & Co.

Hello,

Back in the ‘60s, a series of 32 Andy Warhol silkscreens turned the already famous Campbell’s Soup can into one of pop art’s most enduring icons. This year, it was?Filip Yip & Co.’s turn—not to riff on the familiar red and white label, like Warhol had done, but to actually be part of it. Ever wonder about that medallion that sits proudly between the red and white halves of the can? It’s a gold medal that founder Joseph Campbell’s soup received at the 1900 Paris Exposition Universelle. Campbell added the medal to his label, and it’s been there ever since. But 121 years later, it needed a graphic refresh, and Campbell’s agency Turner Duckworth awarded the coveted assignment to Filip Yip & Co. After all, Filip has built a global reputation for creating and updating these kinds of “contemporary/timeless” brand assets for flagship companies like Anheuser-Busch, Clorox, Nestlé, and many others. Filip’s rigorous process started with careful examination of photos of the original gold medallion. It includes an image of the Grand Palais, which was built for that 1900 Paris exhibition and still stands alongside the Seine. So, Filip paid a visit to the palace to take reference photos. Then, in a series of pencil sketches, he explored ways to update all the elements of the medallion. It may be tiny on the actual can, but the client wanted it to be stunning even when blown up a hundred times. Filip’s deep knowledge of print production helped him come up with a reworking that has just the right amount of detail, shadow and highlight to read and print at any size—one more reason so many major clients turn to him for this kind of work. I’m so proud to share this story with you. It’s not every day that an artist gets to help shape one of history’s most iconic brands. And now, I will forever think of Filip Yip & Co. every time I sit down to a bowl of tomato soup and a grilled cheese sandwich!

Fondly,

Freda

FILIP YIP & CO.