RALPH LAUREN AND EPIC GAMES DEBUT FORTNITE PARTNERSHIP

by John Russel Jones Nov 01, 2022

If you thought you saw a polo pony dressed up as a llama pinata at last night’s Halloween festivities, don’t worry – you didn’t have one too many pumpkin spice martinis (well, maybe you did, but we don’t judge). No, that bastion of all-American, old-money style, Ralph Lauren, has taken a jump into the metaverse, partnering with Epic Games, the creator, and publisher of the globally popular online game Fortnite. For the first time in Ralph Lauren’s five-decade history, the Polo Pony—one of the world’s most iconic logos—has been specially redesigned to commemorate the collaboration with Fortnite, a testament to the company’s belief in the power of the metaverse. The partnership sees the debut of a digital apparel and accessories collection launching in the Fortnite Item Shop, as well as a physical apparel capsule that is inspired by the digital-first collection.
In a first for Ralph Lauren, the collection was conceived as a digital-first capsule, creatively influenced by a gaming design aesthetic. The digital outfits showcase Ralph Lauren’s signature artistry and craftsmanship, rendered in high fidelity with incredibly rich detail, while the physical capsule collection translates them into the real world. Underlining this interplay between digital and physical, a boot will come to life as a replica of the digital version shown in the Fortnite Outfits and will be available in the coming months.

“Ralph Lauren has always designed dreams and created new worlds, and today, our collaboration with Fortnite will deliver a groundbreaking experience to a new community of next-generation players and consumers. Our partnership represents a completely fresh take on the Ralph Lauren brand—designing for the metaverse first—that is thoroughly focused on the future. We are excited to continue to lead digital exploration, building on our decades-long track record of pioneering innovation,” said David Lauren, Chief Branding and Innovation Officer at Ralph Lauren.
“Authentically expressing yourself is core to the player experience inside Fortnite,” says Adam Sussman, President at Epic Games. “Ralph Lauren’s iconic ‘Polo’ design history together with the powerful versatility of Unreal Engine [a 3D design tool] and the unmistakable style of Fortnite have resulted in an inspired campaign and timeless looks that Fortnite players worldwide are sure to love.”
Both the digital and physical Polo Stadium collections draw inspiration from the heritage of the brand’s celebrated Stadium collection and Polo Sport line from the 1990s, reimagined for the metaverse. The digital collection will debut two Outfits, with alternate styles, and additional in-game cosmetics that will be available for purchase in the Fortnite Item Shop beginning November 5th.
The physical apparel capsule collection will be available on November 2nd, exclusively on RalphLauren.com. An additional product drop will launch globally on December 1st on RalphLauren.com, The Ralph Lauren App, the Polo-67 App, in select Ralph Lauren retail stores and specialty retailers including Bodega, Citadium, Highsnobiety, BSTN, LVL Gaming hub, Beams and CMG Central World.


Twitch Livestream Launch Event in New York City

As part of the campaign launch, Ralph Lauren will host an in-person kick-off event streamed exclusively on Twitch on Thursday, November 3rd at 1:00 p.m. ET. Throughout three hours of exciting and engaging live programming, viewers will be able to interact with top gamers, influencers, and celebrity talent. Hosted by Kelly Link and Sypher PK, the Twitch livestream will feature interviews, interactive games, and challenges with streamers and esports stars such as Sommerset, Alixxa, and Ta1yo, and more, as well as an exclusive musical performance by rapper Polo G.

“The Polo Stadium Cup” Player Tournament

On November 4th, Ralph Lauren will also become the first luxury brand to cohost a global player tournament in Fortnite—“The Polo Stadium Cup”—where participants will have the opportunity to earn in-game rewards including first access to the Ralph Lauren Outfits and accessories. This Zero Build tournament will be held across the globe where Fortnite is available.