2023.08.23

Why is the Cap Brand ’47, which has Grown from Wagon Sales to Officially Licensed by MLB, so Popular?

The brand '’47', which was born in Boston, America in 1947, now has a strong presence among competing cap brands. This article tells the story of how a brand, which started with wagon sales near Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, grew into an official licensee of MLB. Alongside revisiting the not-so-well-known history of '47, I interviewed Taizo Date, the brand's general manager, to introduce their product line and to understand why it has been so popular among young people.

It All Started with Twin Italian Immigrants Selling Pennants

The story of '47 was woven by twin brothers, Arthur & Henry D'Angelo who immigrated to America from Italy. Initially, the brothers used to sell newspapers around Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, to earn their living. In 1946, when the Red Sox finally won the American League in MLB, a huge championship flag was raised. Spotting an opportunity, the twins thought that selling these flags could prove to be a profitable business. Therefore, they established a company, "Twins Enterprises", the predecessor of '47, in 1947 and started selling pennants.

The championship flag that the Red Sox, who had won the American League in 1946, had hoisted. The sale of pennants inspired by this flag was the beginning of the ’47 brand

'47 started with a souvenir shop on a vacant lot next to Fenway Park, the home of the Red Sox. Originally, they primarily sold pennants and did not sell caps. However, the turning point came in the 1960s when they started manufacturing and selling replica caps of the Red Sox. This marked the beginning of '47. It is widely known that the brand name '47 came from the year "Twins Enterprises" was established i.e. 1947.

A variety of goods including pennants were sold in the souvenir shop run by the company 'Twins Enterprises' which was founded by Arthur and Henry in 1947.

The souvenir shop continued to grow steadily thereafter. The brand itself took off when the Red Sox, in 2004, claimed their World Series victory for the first time in 86 years since 1918. It's said that the queue for the souvenir shop next to the stadium lasted until Christmas.

The souvenir shop set up by the twin brothers continues to sell goods like caps opposite the main street overlooking Fenway Park. They have been entrusted with the operation by the Red Sox

Since that time, a 100% cotton cap with curved visor was a staple for fans, and was universally worn as an iconic item regardless of age, gender, or occasion. By the way, in the romantic comedy movie "Fever Pitch", which focuses on the Red Sox's World Series win, you can get a good feel for the atmosphere at Fenway Park and their daily lives. After gaining popularity, we were encouraged by MLB to get licensed and start selling. Since the 2010s, we have started selling caps under the brand name "%47 brand cap".

The current management has been taken over by Arthur's (center in the photo) sons (right to left: Bobby, David, Mark, Stephen). '47 wouldn’t have been what it is today and what it will be in the future if it weren't for the passion of the whole family to work.

From here, they obtained licenses for the four major American sports (NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL) as well as American college sports. With the acquisition of these licenses and the changing of the brand name to the current '47, the brand's awareness began to increase nationwide.

The “Cleanup”, providing an exceptional fit and comfort

Symbolizing '47, the soft crown and curved visor of the 100% cotton cap is commonly referred to as the “dad cap”. This hat is called the '47 Cleanup' and currently occupies 70% of the brand's shares, enjoying immense popularity.