Arby's is paying Pharrell Williams $44,100 for his Vivienne Westwood designer hat, which achieved Twitter fame when the pop artist wore the eye-catching lid during the Grammies on Jan. 27. The development came to light on Twitter during last night's Oscars, while the social conversation between the brand and performer has continued into today. The fast food giant's logo shares a similar look to Williams' soaring fedora. So for Arby's, the buzzy branding move was like shooting fish in a barrel. The hat cash will help fund From One Hand to Another, a charity the rapper-producer runs for underserved children. Williams placed his hat on eBay on Feb. 20 before Arby's swooped in on the auction's last day (March 2) to make the purchase.
.@Pharrell You're welcome. We're HAPPY to support a great cause & get our hat back. Good luck at the #Oscars tonight! pic.twitter.com/2oA7qDPX9z — Arby's (@Arbys) March 3, 2014
What a pleasant surprise. Thank you @Arbys, our roast beef is now officially well done.