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Strategy July 31, 2018

Case Study: Van Gogh Paintings Featured in New Vans Collection

The skate/surf lifestyle brand and the Van Gogh Museum teamed up to release a collection of footwear and apparel featuring art by the famous Dutch post-impressionist painter.

By  Christopher Ruvo

High art and hip street fashion meet in a new collection that features works by master painter Vincent Van Gogh printed on shoes and apparel from skate/surf lifestyle brand Vans. A collaboration between Vans and the Netherlands-based Van Gogh Museum produced the collection, which includes sneakers, T-Shirts, a bomber jacket, hats and hoodies.

Four main bodies of Van Gogh’s works serve as themes in the collection, including Skull, Almond Blossom, Sunflowers, and the artist’s self-portrait. To add authenticity and perspective, sneakers in the collection come finished with custom footbed art that features the interlocked logos of Vans and the museum done in Van Gogh’s distinctive brushstrokes. Meanwhile, collection pieces include hangtags that highlight historical facts behind Van Gogh’s creations.

Photo Courtesy of Vans.

Not yet released, the line was already winning love on Twitter.

In a cool move, the Van Gogh Museum says it is dedicating part of its profits from collection sales to preserving Van Gogh’s legacy and collection of art, keeping it accessible for future generations. “We are delighted with the Vans x Van Gogh Museum collection, as it ties in with our mission to make the life and work of Vincent Van Gogh accessible to as many people as possible in order to enrich and inspire them,” said Adriaan Dönszelmann, managing director of the Van Gogh Museum.

Fans of the famous Dutch post-impressionist painter, who lived and died in obscurity in the latter half of the 19th Century before his popularity later exploded, will be interested to know that Van Gogh’s studies of skeletons feature on the Vans Classic Slip-On, a long-sleeve tee, hoodie and hat.

Photo Courtesy of Vans.

Plus, the artist’s self-portrait adorns the Vans Authentic sneaker and an oversized T-Shirt.

Photo Courtesy of Vans.

Other works in the collection include the Authentic sneaker finished in one of Van Gogh’s iconic Sunflowers paintings.

Photo Courtesy of Vans.

The satin material bomber jacket featuring a digital print of Almond Blossom is especially cool, we think. The print also embellishes a hat and backpack.

Photo Courtesy of Vans.

From a marketing and promotional products perspective, the collection is thought-provoking on a number of levels. For one thing, it showcases the incredible printing that can be achieved on footwear – a niche category in promo that could potentially be expanded. It’s also an interesting case study in co-branding partnerships, which could stimulate questions like: Are there co-branding initiatives that could benefit your firm? How about your top clients’ companies? Spend a little time thinking on it. You never know what solutions you might produce.

Photo Courtesy of Vans.

Beginning Friday Aug. 3, the Vans x Van Gogh Museum Collection will be available to shop at vans.com/vangogh, Vans retail stores, and select Vans wholesale accounts. Enthusiasts will also be able to buy pieces from at vangoghmuseumshop.com, and from the museum shop at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.