Let’s be honest: What’s the point of a Bitmoji avatar if it can’t be a bit aspirational? Isn’t part of the fun presenting the “best” version of ourselves?
Ralph Lauren turned that idea on its creatively illustrated head late this summer. The company announced a long-term global partnership with Snap to introduce virtual branded style inspired by real — and shoppable — Ralph Lauren looks.
Check out the other ways retailers are using tech to their advantage here.
In releasing the news, Alice Delahunt, Ralph Lauren’s chief digital officer, says with the company’s reputation as a global leader within the luxury fashion space and Snap’s “undeniable creative prowess and expansive reach to a younger consumer,” they felt inspired to “explore disruptive ways to tell our brand’s story, drive social commerce and engage with a new generation in an authentic and empowering way.”
The Ralph Lauren X Bitmoji Collection launched with 12 iconic mix-and-match looks, six for men and six for women, that will live within Snapchat and the Bitmoji app. Snapchatters can dress their Bitmojis according to personal style, whether that means a striped rugby shirt, a vibrant track jacket or even a double-breasted blazer. In coming months, all polo shirts in the Bitmoji closet will receive a signature Ralph Lauren logo, and the virtual closet will be continually updated.
Watch for further evidence of the partnership in digital experiences “on and off Snapchat,” Ralph Lauren reports, as well as available for purchase through the company’s website and select Ralph Lauren bricks-and-mortar stores. Shopping the look of a “Modern Racer” Bitmoji, for example, includes a graphic bomber jacket, leather leggings, boots and sunglasses. The partnership was officially celebrated with an early September performance by “friend of the Ralph Lauren brand” Chance the Rapper.