Herr’s chips launches merch campaign with Philly’s South Fellini and Dirty Hands Studio

When Herr’s asked South Fellini to design merchandise based on its iconic snack brand, the creative team behind the irreverent South Philly T-shirt shop considered what their favorite potato chip meant to Philadelphia.

Soon, they settled on a slogan: “City of Brotherly Spud.”

The humorous design is part of a limited collection of merchandise Herr’s launched Tuesday in collaboration with South Fellini and Dirty Hands Studio. The stylish, chip-themed duds include a T-shirt of dancing cartoon Herr’s bags, a hat embroidered with a Herr’s delivery truck, and a tote bag bearing the image of William Penn munching on chips. The names of Herr’s best-known flavors are stitched into brightly colored socks, matching the instantly recognizable reds, yellows, and blues of Herr’s potato chips bags.

The collection — “Fits By Philly: Threads from Philly’s Finest” — is on sale at South Fellini and Herr’s website while supplies last — comes as part of Herr’s effort to support local businesses, said Bob Clark, a vice president of marketing at the Chester-based snack company.

He said the idea grew from Herr’s Flavored by Philly contest, which features limited-time chip flavors inspired by local Philly-area eateries, like John’s Roast Pork, Mike’s BBQ, and Corropolese Bakery in Norristown, which won with a tomato pie-flavored potato chip (this year’s flavors will be announced in June, Clark said).

“We were doing the Philly Flavors and we thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun to reach out to local artists and see what they could design,” Clark said.

By partnering with popular brands like South Fellini and Dirty Hands Studio, Herr’s hopes to reach new consumers, who may not have grown up eating its potato chips.

“It’s a way to reach a younger audience for sure,” Clark said. “Snackers are of all ages.”

Herr’s chips were a staple of their South Philly childhoods, said Johnny Zito and Tony Trov of South Fellini. The image of Herr’s brightly-colored potato chips bags was seared in their memories, they said. “As little kids, going to the supermarket with our moms and seeing the chips in bags of metallic blues or yellows or reds — none of the other chips had that,” Zito said. “None of them had that metallic shine. It was downright beautiful.”

They designed their “City of Brotherly Love” T-shirt in the style of an old-timey cartoon, with two Herr’s bags coming to life and dancing.

“To me, it calls to mind a 1930′s animated cartoon of these snack foods, these inanimate objects, coming to life and having a good time,” Zito said.

Tim Gough, founder of Dirty Hands Studio, drew on the vintage style of Pennsylvania Dutch potato chip packaging, and put it through a “punk rock filter.”

He too was thrilled when Herr’s called.

“Herr’s is a brand I have grown up with,” he said. “Their blue and red trucks are the most iconic thing. It was exciting just to play in that world.”

Clark said the merch will be available until it sells out.

“If it sells out real fast, we’ll probably place more orders,” he said.