Ralph Lauren is a well-known American brand that was founded in 1967. Starting out, it only sold ties for men. Now, it manufactures various products, including clothing, shoes, perfumes, accessories, furniture, and household utensils. But, beyond the brand is the Ralph Lauren logo. The Ralph Lauren logo is an example of a timeless emblem. It was unveiled in 1974 and has mostly stayed the same since then.
The Ralph Lauren logo is reflected nobly in the vast industry of fashion, fine jewelry, homeware, and fine perfumery. And like always, there is a story behind the success of the logo and the brand.
So this article will walk you through the history, meaning, and evolution of the Ralph Lauren logo and brand.
Ralph Lauren Logo: Evolution
Ralph Lauren’s logo is one of the few that has remained visually consistent for decades. However, the brand uses different variations of its elements depending on the clothing. For example, the wordmark works well on formal wear (suits and shirts), whereas the iconic polo player works well on sportswear. Now consider the Polo Pony, the logo’s nickname.
1974 to Present—The Polo Horseman
Cleanness is the logo’s distinct color scheme. The horse emblem, which is available in black and white, depicts a Polo Player galloping on a galloping horse. The rider holds a mallet in his right hand, attempting to strike a ball. Underneath this vivid image is the brand’s name, in capital letters: Ralph Lauren.
Elements of the Ralph Lauren Logo Design
Ralph Lauren, the well-known clothing brand, has followed the branding guidelines. To design its visual assets, the designer concentrated on fewer graphic elements—a Polo player, horse, and custom typeface. Let us investigate these elements further together.
Ralph Lauren’s Symbol and Shape
- A Polo Player: The Polo Player is an iconic graphic image that represents the brand’s strength, quality, and competitive spirit. It also takes into account American pop culture, team spirit, and wealth. The figure also corresponds to one of the brand’s target audiences, athletic men and women.
- Horse: As a symbol of liberty, a horse embodies the spirit of bravery, loyalty, and willpower. The horse represents the Ralph Lauren brand and captures the indigenous American culture’s unique history as a symbol of integrity, elegance, and nobleness.
- Wooden Mallet: Can you hit a target with a wooden mallet without damaging it? In the game of Polo, this is the essence of the wooden mallet. It represents the precise effort and strategies used by the brand’s owners to achieve their production, marketing, and financial objectives while maintaining customer satisfaction. The mallet depicts the brand’s step-by-step methods for achieving its objectives.
Ralph Lauren Logo Colors:
The Ralph Lauren Logo Colors are a form of communication. They can elicit a wide range of emotions, including warmth, comfort, anger, and violence. Experts use them to signal action, influence mood, and purchase decisions. Though there are many colors available, it is essential to choose them wisely in order to tell your brand’s story. Ralph Lauren prefers neutral colors—black and white—to evoke the persona of its brand.
- Black Color: The color black is used in the Ralph Lauren logo to convey power, elegance, and strength. Black can evoke aggression, authority, and fear as a reserved color. In most cultures, people associate dark colors with death, evil, and mystery. Nonetheless, it is a color associated with formality and prestige.
- White Color: The Ralph Lauren logo is simple and elegant in white. As a neutral color, it provides a strong contrast to the black. They work together to give the Ralph Lauren logo an appealing and understated visual charisma. The use of white in the Ralph Lauren logo symbolizes humility, safety, and loyalty. The color corresponds to goodness, heaven, and light.
Ralph Lauren Logo Typography
Its official logotype has a distinct personality. The Ralph Lauren font is made up of a custom serif typeface that is similar to the roman font style. The typeface’s thick and thin lines convey a sense of stability, maturity, and formality. It also conveys seriousness, corporate identity, and tradition.
Why is the Ralph Lauren Logo Effective?
- The Logo Is Clean: Clean logos are appealing and popular with customers. This is because they are easy to notice and read. The Ralph Lauren logo falls into this branding category because it uses graphic elements sparingly. The logo is simple, noticeable, and memorable with these features.
- The Logo Is Unique: No two logos should be the same or identical. The Ralph logo distinguishes itself from the competition. It has achieved this critical goal by employing distinctive design elements that distinguish it from competing brands. Because of its scarcity, this logo is flying high.
- The Logo Is Timeless: Few logos can last for decades without being updated. The Ralph logo works because it incorporates elements that are not affected by trends. The owner understood its target audience from the start and represented a fresh perspective. This ensures that the brand is remembered with pride.
- The Logo Is Memorable: The Ralph logo contains recognizable elements that project the brand’s personality. The player and its horse are instantly recognizable. Customers will remember the logo because of its impressive tone. This has imprinted a strong image and connection in the minds of its devoted customers.
- The Logo Is Versatile: Businesses want their brands to be known all over the world. This is dependent on the layout of the logo design. The Ralph Lauren logo is versatile because it can be used in a variety of ways by the company. Its subtle form allows it to fit on a variety of mediums with no difficulty.
What does the Ralph Lauren logo stand for?
The iconic logo of Ralph Lauren, an American fashion house, depicts a polo player in black with white accents, placed above uppercase lettering in a fancy serif typeface. The polo player represents excellence, luxury, and nobility, which distinguishes the brand from its competitors. The emblem also represents the brand’s heritage, which began with the production of polo clothing.
What’s the difference between Ralph Lauren and Polo?
Polo by Ralph Lauren is the name of one of the Ralph Lauren brand’s lines. This more affordable label is known for its colorful polo t-shirts and simpler and sportier clothing and accessories.
Who designed the Polo logo?
Rene Lacoste, a famous tennis player with French ancestors, created the iconic Polo by Ralph Lauren logo. The first version of the logo with a polo player was introduced in the middle of the 1970s, just a few years after the company was founded.
Who Started Ralph Lauren?
Mr. Ralph Lauren has many titles, including entrepreneur, fashion designer, billionaire, and philanthropist. The well-known business owner was born in New York City on October 14, 1939. Frank and Freda, his parents, were Jewish immigrants from Belarus.
Ralph has a sister and two brothers in addition to himself. He attended Manhattan Talmudical Academy before graduating from DeWitt Clinton High School in 1957. After high school, he attended Baruch College for a couple of years to study business.
Between 1962 and 1964, he served in the United States Army for a short time. He left the army to work as a Brooks Brothers sales assistant. Following that, he worked for Beau Brummell, a tie maker. These companies’ experience would later benefit his business.
Ralph married Ricky Ann Low-Beer on December 20, 1964, and the couple has three children. Andrew Lauren, David Lauren, and Dylan Lauren are the children. The fashion icon is a car enthusiast who owns more than a hundred high-end vehicles.
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Ralph founded his company in 1967 by combining his sales skills, love of sports, and interest in fashion. In 1968, he founded the Ralph Lauren Corporation and introduced his first menswear line, Polo. Today, the brand offers a wide range of clothing for both men and women.
To support its Corporate Social Responsibility, Ralph Lauren co-founded the Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research and the Polo Ralph Lauren Foundation. Ralph Lauren is worth $6.3 billion, according to the Forbes 2019 report.
Ralph’s contribution to society has been recognized and rewarded by numerous institutions. The French government awarded him the Legion of Honor in 2010. That is one of several honors he has received.
How Did Ralph Lauren Begin?
The now-famous clothing billionaire did not come from a wealthy family. Ralph Lipschitz, who was born into a poor Jewish family, changed his surname to Lauren to protect himself from the constant bullying and teasing from others.
Ralph works as a clerk at Brooks Brothers shortly after leaving the army before joining Beau Brummell, a brand that specializes in tie making. He fell in love with tie making, but he took a unique approach to his designs.
Ralph deviated from tradition by designing wide and colorful neckties instead of narrow and plain ties. This out-of-the-ordinary design style captivated many, including the Manhattan department store. Ralph Lauren sold $500,000 in neckties in a year.
Ralph, a movie and sports fanatic, creates simple clothing that resonates with these well-known characters. He was taken to his first polo match by Warren Helstein. This event altered his perspective on fashion and sparked his entrepreneurial spirit.
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He was inspired by the leather, horses, ponytails, enormous hats, and wealthy people he saw during the match. That unforgettable event inspired him to create the Polo Ralph Lauren, an elegant and high-class brand.
Ralph introduced the first Polo menswear collection in 1968. And he ran his business from a showroom in the Empire State Building. Bloomingdale began selling Lauren’s brand in its department store almost a year later. It was the first time the store owners had worked with a designer in this capacity.
In 1971, the company introduced the women’s shirt, which featured the Polo player logo on the cuff for the first time. He opened a store on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, California, the same year. By 1972, the company had introduced its vibrant cotton mesh Polo shirts.
The iconic logo was featured on the chest of these designs, elevating its signature style. Ralph Lauren went public in 1997, but he still has a controlling stake in the brand he founded.
How Famous Is Ralph Lauren?
Ralph Lauren Corporation is an American fashion empire that designs and markets simple yet luxurious clothing to customers all over the world. Accessories, apparel, fragrance, home, and hospitality are among the lifestyle products offered by the company.
The company, which employs approximately 24,300 people, is headquartered in New York City, United States. Polo Ralph Lauren, Double RL, Chaps, Club Monaco, and Ralph Lauren Purple Label are just a few of the well-known brands from this renowned clothing house.
The signature polo brands are available in approximately 13,000 retail outlets worldwide. In 2018, these active stores generated $6.2 billion in revenue for the company. After deducting other expenses, the company’s net income was approximately $163 million.
The brand is a Fortune 500 company that has had a significant impact on the US Olympic and Paralympic teams. The brand became the official outfitter for the Olympic team as a result of a partnership agreement with the United States Olympic Committee.
Today, the company that began with a single product—the necktie—has expanded into other design areas. Its name can be found on pillows, footwear, jewelry, furniture, and fragrance.
Conclusion
Ralph Lauren’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune is a rags to riches story. His unwavering pursuit of his passion is reminiscent of the American Dream. His business success demonstrated that anyone can turn an original idea into a profitable business.
However, many factors contributed to Ralph’s ability to build an empire from the ground up. His self-belief, passion, clear vision, salesmanship, and burning desire to rise above poverty are examples of these. Not to mention that he worked like there was no tomorrow.
It would be advantageous if you possessed these characteristics and many others.
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