Even if you didn’t watch the Grammys in January, if you were anywhere near a computer or television in the following weeks you heard about the hat Pharrell wore on the red carpet. The massive, butcher-paper-colored Vivienne Westwood creation spawned a flood of memes and mocking tweets—including by fast-food chain Arby’s, whose joke about the hat’s resemblance to its logo was retweeted more than 80,000 times.
Arby’s later bought the hat in a charity auction for $44,100—and is lending it to the Newseum, where it will be on display in the New York Times Great Hall of News until October 26. The accessory, according to the museum, serves as a symbol of how social media is instrumental in the spread and development of a story.
“The stories visitors experience in the Newseum illustrate historic and contemporary moments as seen through the eyes of the media,’” Scott Williams, senior vice president of marketing at the Newseum, told the Washington Post. “Pharrell’s hat is a great addition to the Newseum and will serve as a great example of the impact of social media today.”
The hat will be “unveiled” during a VIP reception and preview on Thursday, complete with food, drinks, and deejay tunes—a fitting fete for such a famous piece of headwear.
See the Vine Arby’s created to announce the loan below.
Find Tanya Pai on Twitter at @tanyapai.
