Ralph Lauren released a trailer for the first animated short film starring its iconic Polo Bear mascot. “The Polo Bear Chronicles: Operation Black Tie,” which debuts on YouTube Aug. 14, puts the preppy ursine protagonist in a James Bond-like role as he tries to pull off an art recovery heist with the help of a pigeon sidekick.
In the story, Polo Bear ventures through a variety of venues that demonstrate the range of Ralph Lauren’s style, including a swanky New York brownstone, a beach house, a polo game and a black tie gala. Polo Bear and his streetwise avian companion are able to outwit socialites and security details in a wordless fashion while maneuvering around classic spy movie pitfalls like laser tripwires and zip line escapes.
The content was developed internally by Ralph Lauren Animated Studios and suggests that the fashion label is looking to stretch the equity of one of its signature assets further following recent marketing ploys along similar lines. For the holidays, Ralph Lauren introduced window displays featuring 3D digital renderings of Polo Bear at select store locations. The displays, which were developed with experiential agency Cinimod Studio, leveraged artificial intelligence technology to make Polo Bear appear more realistic, according to WWD.
Polo Bear, first introduced in 1991, has been described by Ralph Lauren as a character of contradictions, being both innocent and sophisticated and favoring martinis — another potential Bond nod — despite bearing resemblance to a children’s toy. Ralph Lauren is leaning on the appeal of its fluffy mascot during a challenging time for retail and as more consumers cut back on discretionary spending. Ralph Lauren has been busy coordinating with its suppliers to address the impact of tariffs, with plans to move more production to countries subject to less steep levies, executives have said.
The brand steeped in Americana has delivered strong performance despite the trade war chaos and a broader downturn for luxury goods. Revenue rose 14% year over year to $1.7 billion in Ralph Lauren’s fiscal first quarter of 2026, topping expectations. Marketing expenses as a percentage of sales were 7.5% in Q1 versus 6.7% during the year-ago period.
