Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony Initiative Marks 20 Years in the Fight Against Cancer

The Company debuts “More Conversations, More Love” campaign featuring an eclectic cast of cancer survivors, thrivers and supporters 

“When someone we love has cancer, we are all affected—husbands, wives, mothers and fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends. This is our effort in the fight against cancer.” - Ralph Lauren

NEW YORK, NY — October 1, 2020 — For 20 years Ralph Lauren’s Pink Pony Initiative, the Company’s global philanthropic program dedicated to cancer care, has been a leader in the fight against the disease. Established in 2000, Pink Pony’s mission is to reduce disparities in cancer care, lead the fight to find a cure and help to ensure that access to quality treatment is available to everyone at an earlier, more treatable stage.

A multilayered 360 marketing campaign titled “More Conversations, More Love” will launch in celebration of this milestone and will highlight a diverse and influential cast of cancer survivors, thrivers and supporters - each sharing their individual journey through cancer to spark a dialogue about healing, hope, survivorship and how love is a universal language. This eclectic group features over 30 personalities from around the world, including Director of the Boston University Antiracist Research Center and New York Times #1 bestselling author of How To Be An Antiracist Dr. Ibram X. Kendi; Black, queer, non-binary femme, sexuality educator Ericka Hart; former Maryland gubernatorial and Congressional candidate Maya Rockeymoore Cummings; environmental activist Nalleli Cobo; LGBTQ advocate Dr. Elizabeth Lorde-Rollins; and five-time Olympic gold medalist Nathan Adrian. International personalities include Chinese singer and songwriter G.E.M., Korean actress and singer Krystal Jung, Australian singer and songwriter Delta Goodrem and British author Deborah James.

The 2020 Pink Pony apparel collection is comprised of an assortment of updated Polo icons with fresh graphics and details, done in a clean palette of pink, navy, white, and grey. The “Love Language” tee takes center stage in the campaign and is available in 20 different languages. 100 percent of the purchase price from the sale of each light pink “Live Love” graphic tee and 25 percent of the purchase price from the sale of all other items in the Pink Pony Collection will be donated to the Pink Pony Fund of The Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation or to an international network of cancer charities. The Collection will be available globally in September in select global Ralph Lauren retail stores, on RalphLauren.com, at Macy’s and in select global wholesale stores.

Ralph Lauren Fragrances will introduce ROMANCE Pink Pony Edition, a limited-edition new fragrance in honor of the 20th anniversary of the initiative. With each purchase of ROMANCE Pink Pony Edition, Ralph Lauren Fragrances will donate 100 percent of the profits to the Pink Pony Fund. Ralph Lauren Fragrances will also partner with florist, Lewis Miller of Lewis Miller Design to bring his iconic ‘Flower Flash’ installations inspired by the ROMANCE Pink Pony Edition fragrance, to the streets of New York throughout the month of October. 

The Company is deeply committed to raising awareness and funds for cancer care and prevention through annual global marketing initiatives, dedicated product collections with sales going to support the Pink Pony Fund, and worldwide employee volunteering programs and fundraising. As one of the first companies to utilize its logo in support of cause-based initiatives, the Polo Player has been used for decades as a global symbol to help raise millions of dollars for philanthropic causes and social impact programs. 

RALPH LAUREN'S COMMITMENT TO CANCER CARE
For over 30 years, Ralph Lauren has been committed to raising awareness in the fight against cancer. In 1989, after his close friend and Washington Post fashion editor Nina Hyde was diagnosed with breast cancer, Mr. Lauren made a commitment to focus his philanthropic efforts on improving care for this devastating disease by cofounding the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. In 1994, he led the fashion industry in its support of breast cancer research by designing the first target logo for the Council of Fashion Designers of America’s Fashion Targets Breast Cancer initiative, which focuses on raising public awareness and funds for the breast cancer cause. 

In 2003, the Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Care was established in partnership with the nation’s leading cancer center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, in New York City, to provide high-quality, compassionate cancer screening, diagnosis, and treatment to all and to reduce health disparities and improve cancer outcomes. Since its founding, MSK Ralph Lauren Center (MSK RLC) has cared for thousands of patients making it a beacon for accessible, compassionate cancer care for residents of Harlem and beyond. MSK RLC provides high-quality care in a warm, welcoming, and culturally sensitive environment. MSK RLC provides cancer screenings, treatment services, surgical and radiation oncology referrals, and chemotherapy along with an array of supportive services—including navigation programs, financial counseling, and access to a medically tailored food pantry supplemented with nutritional counseling.

In 2014, Ralph Lauren Corporation partnered with The Royal Marsden, the largest and most comprehensive cancer center in Europe, to develop a world-class breast cancer research facility. HRH The Duke of Cambridge opened the Ralph Lauren Centre for Breast Cancer Research at The Royal Marsden in May 2016, alongside Mr. Ralph Lauren. In 2019, Ralph Lauren pledged £1 million to The Royal Marsden Cancer Charity to establish a Research Zone within a state-of-the-art facility opening in Sutton, U.K. The Oak Cancer Centre will bring together more than 400 researchers and 350 clinical staff and will see approximately 140,000 patient visits each year. The new center will speed up the translation of world-leading research into breakthroughs in treatment and care, transforming the lives of cancer patients at The Royal Marsden and around the world.  

In 2020, the Ralph Lauren Corporate Foundation continued to build on its decades-long commitment to cancer care through the Pink Pony Fund by supporting a long-standing network of international cancer institutions that are caring for people with cancer and who are especially vulnerable during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

ABOUT RALPH LAUREN
Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE:RL) is a global leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in five categories: apparel, footwear & accessories, home, fragrances and hospitality. For more than 50 years, Ralph Lauren’s reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company’s brand names, which include Ralph Lauren, Ralph Lauren Collection, Ralph Lauren Purple Label, Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Lauren Ralph Lauren, Polo Ralph Lauren Children, Chaps and Club Monaco, among others, constitute one of the world’s most widely recognized families of consumer brands. For more information, go to https://corporate.ralphlauren.com.

CONTACT
Lindsay Knoll
Senior Director, Global Brand Communications
Lindsay.Knoll@ralphlauren.com