The iconic American brand will work with multiple fan-favorite teams and launch a nationwide promotional tour.
There’s no elegance like timeless elegance. With that in mind, a new apparel collaboration between two iconic American institutions — Ralph Lauren and Major League Baseball — is as natural as Roy Hobbs.
This week, Ralph Lauren unveiled a capsule collection featuring apparel for a select group of MLB teams: The New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago Cubs, and St. Louis Cardinals. This is the first in a series of releases to take place throughout the course of the 2021 season.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with MLB to design capsules across some of baseball’s most iconic teams and to celebrate the nation’s favorite pastime,” Chief Innovation and Branding Officer and Vice Chairman of the Board David Lauren told Boardroom. “Our collaboration is both an incredible opportunity and a very natural partnership between two of America’s most iconic brands that have deep, rich histories.”
This isn’t the brand’s first foray onto the baseball diamond. A Bronx native, Ralph Lauren himself was invited to throw out the first pitch at his beloved Yankee Stadium to commemorate the celebrated brand’s 50th anniversary in 2018. A limited collection of New York Yankees gear was released as part of the festivities.
It sold out almost immediately.
The new capsule collection will feature signature pieces including classic takes on traditional baseball apparel, from bullpen jackets to New Era headwear.
“For the first collection, we wanted to design pieces that baseball fans would love and wear: baseball hats, satin baseball jackets, polo shirts, and hoodies,” David Lauren said. “We also wanted to stay true to the teams’ colors to get followers really excited about the collaboration, while injecting a bit of our iconic Ralph Lauren colors in there as well.”
Additionally, fans can look forward to a limited run of team-themed Polo Bear items.
To publicize the collaboration, Ralph Lauren will also be deploying “Ralph’s Airstream” on a cross-country road trip, making stops at some of the game’s most iconic landmarks and offering fans ballpark-themed refreshments.
Additionally, they will be teaming up with local artists to create murals in several cities across the United States and launching a digital collectibles campaign inspired by vintage trading cards.
The MLB venture becomes the most recent addition to Ralph Lauren’s extensive sports portfolio. Just last month, the brand released Team USA’s official closing ceremony fits for the upcoming Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
For those waiting on their favorite teams to get the Polo treatment, additional releases are coming up during the MLB playoff push this fall, as well as the 2021 holiday season.
“For the next two collections, we are excited to surprise everyone with uniquely different capsules that showcase even more of the Ralph Lauren DNA and will hopefully keep fans wanting more,” David Lauren told Boardroom.
The items will be available at select team souvenir shops across the country, Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, and online at RalphLauren.com and MLBShop.com.
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