Polo Ralph Lauren to Pay Tribute to Healthcare Heroes at U.S. Open

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Longtime sponsor Ralph Lauren has forfeited the opportunity to advertise at the U.S. Open this year. Instead, the brand is paying tribute to healthcare workers by making their names seen on the tennis courts. While the U.S. Open has been an important platform for Ralph Lauren in the past–serving as a launchpad for new designs, fabrics, and technologies–the brand has opted to replace its fashion initiatives in order to give a “wonderful salute” to the real-life heroes in need of recognition.

Polo Ralph Lauren has been the official outfitter of the tennis championship since 2005, and the brand is making it count–upon the tournament’s commencement on Monday, ball people and court officials will sport light grey polo shirts that highlight the names of over 150 healthcare workers. The names chosen were pulled from a cross-section of employees from New York City’s Mount Sinai Health System. Founder Ralph Lauren described the decision to provide this recognition, saying “[Healthcare workers] put their lives at risk just being there. The thing about a hospital is that it’s this amazing system where everybody has to work as a team and everybody relies on each other in order to save lives.” He continued, drawing parallels between healthcare workers and U.S. Open employees. “Teamwork is what makes the U.S. Open successful. I think it’s interesting for one team to celebrate another team.”

This display of support is yet another measure by the brand to provide COVID-19 relief. For the past six months, Ralph Lauren has supplied masks and other protective equipment, as well as free coffee, to frontline workers. Although the name-embellished shirts worn by U.S. Open employees will not be available for purchase, consumers can buy their own customizable polos on the company’s website or through the Polo App. Additionally, Polo high-filtration face masks worn by court staff will also be for sale beginning in October.

The company pledges to donate profits from the masks to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund for the World Health Organization. The company will also provide 50,000 pieces of tennis and other athletic apparel products to the USTA Foundation, a not-for-profit organization that supports the growth of sports like tennis through low-cost instruction and education for youths.

This year’s U.S. Open will be without spectators, but Ralph Lauren’s salute to health care workers will not go unnoticed. Lauren shared his desire for the brand to spark a larger narrative, saying “The story is about our brand using our platform to tell a bigger story that has an emotional spirit and is much bigger than fashion. This is about Ralph Lauren celebrating life, heroes, and American spirit.”

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