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For the first time, Ralph Lauren is redesigning its signature Polo Pony logo as part of a partnership with Fortnite that will include both digital and physical fashion.
The US brand has designed in-game clothing for Fortnite that will feature the brand’s polo player sitting atop Fortnite’s llama logo on digital fashion pieces including two “Polo 1991” jumpsuits. Physical merch including sweaters and polo shirts, some with the reimagined logo and others inspired by digital skins on Fortnite, will also be released online on 2 November, followed by a second drop available online and in Ralph Lauren stores on 1 December. A boot designed specifically for Fortnite will be made as a physical shoe in the coming months, giving players the chance to wear a replica of their in-game footwear. Prices for both the physical and digital pieces are in line with existing standards (bundles range from 1300 to 1500 Vbux, or $10.39 to $11.99, and accessories can be purchased individually), with the physical pieces ranging from $59.50 to $188.
The brand also plans to host a virtual Fortnite tournament and a Twitch live stream, making the partnership Ralph Lauren’s biggest metaverse venture to date following past partnerships with Bitmoji, Roblox and Zepeto.
“Ralph Lauren has always designed dreams and created new worlds, and our collaboration with Fortnite will deliver a first-of-its kind experience to a new community of next-generation players and consumers,” said David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer, in a statement.
Fortnite, a survival video game owned by Epic Games, has about 80 million monthly active users and a more sophisticated, fashion-friendly design aesthetic than Roblox, thanks to its gaming engine Unreal Engine. While Roblox has more than 200 million monthly active users, 70 per cent of its audience is aged 24 or younger, while more than 60 per cent of Fortnite’s audience is 25 or older, according to Geeiq’s data dashboard. This older audience means more spending power, and a higher likelihood that digital purchases translate to physical ones. Ralph Lauren joins Moncler and Balenciaga in partnering with Fortnite; Balenciaga’s appearance in September 2021, which followed successful partnerships with music and sports entities amid the pandemic, also included a capsule collection of physical merch.
There’s appetite in the gaming community for luxury offerings. “Take it from the guy who is in the game, outfitting your character in Fortnite is a great way to reflect your personal style,” says Ali Hassan, AKA SypherPK, a popular Fortnite streamer and content creators. “Polo has always been an iconic brand and one that I’ll be sporting for a while.”
In 2020, 77 per cent of Fortnite players said they’d made in-game purchases (with skins among the most common buys) — the average user spent $102.42 over the year, per online financial marketplace LendEDU. Investment bank Cohen identifies gaming as a key retail opportunity, citing findings that 96 per cent of millennials and 96 per cent of Gen Z listed gaming as one of their top three most frequent activities. Gamer excitement about fashion prevails; Supreme, Rolex and Ray-Ban are among Fortnite players’ top brand affinity, according to software and data firm Geeiq (alongside sportswear brands Under Armour and North Face).
Ralph Lauren’s digital fashion partnerships started with Bitmoji in 2020 with the first branded wardrobe designed specifically for the avatars. Ralph Lauren later designed outfits for avatars on Zepeto and launched a shoppable Roblox experience with winter sportswear looks.
The Fortnite partnership is the first time physical clothing will be released in step with a digital collection. The release will also be followed by a 3 November Twitch live stream, hosted by gamers Kelly Link and SypherPK, and featuring a performance by rapper Polo G. The next day, the brand will co-host the Polo Stadium Cup, a Zero Build tournament (meaning players don’t need to build as well as fight), marking the first time a brand has hosted its own tournament on the platform. Players will have the chance to win in-game rewards, including first access to Ralph Lauren’s outfit and item offerings. Ralph Lauren skins and associated in-game accessories (such as a pick-axe and a glider) will drop in the Fortnite Item Shop on 5 November.
A second physical clothing drop will follow on 1 December, bookending the collaboration with more physical apparel. Here, players will have had the month of November to wear the Ralph Lauren skins on Fortnite, and will then have the chance to wear physical clothing to match their virtual branded outfits.
“Authentically expressing yourself is core to the player experience inside Fortnite,” said Adam Sussman, president of Epic Games, in a statement, adding that Ralph Lauren’s Polo design history combined with the style of Fortnite “have resulted in an inspired campaign and timeless looks”.
Fortnite’s cultural resonance was a draw for the brand including strong ties with sport, music, and fashion. “Our partnership represents a completely fresh take on the Ralph Lauren brand — designing for the metaverse first — that is thoroughly focused on the future,” Lauren said.
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