Bloomingdale’s celebrates its New York history in tandem with local label

October 11, 2018

Taylor Hill is cast a member of the Heart of New York campaign. Image credit: Bloomingdale's

Department store chain Bloomingdale’s is working with a fashion label to celebrate a 50-year-long partnership, casting a new group of characters in a classic campaign.

Breathing new life into the brand’s The Heart of New York campaign, Bloomingdale’s is touting its 50-year collaboration with Ralph Lauren, which originated with a deal to sell its ties. The campaign looks to famous New Yorkers to discuss the importance of Bloomingdale’s as a fixture in the city and Ralph Lauren’s impact on American fashion.

50-year partnership
Fifty years ago, Bloomingdale’s became the first retailer to sell Ralph Lauren’s wide ties. Now, the retailer and brand are teaming up to mark this anniversary with a series of special-edition products.

In honor of the milestone, Ralph Lauren is retailing a limited-release collection of neckwear, which comes in a special collectible box labeled "50th anniversary." The set includes five Polo by Ralph Lauren ties, which are inspired by the brand’s history.

Bobby Cannavale for Heart of New York campaign. Image credit: Bloomingdale's

Only 50 of the sets will be available. Priced at $900 a piece, each box is labeled with its production number to showcase authenticity.

Supporting the anniversary, Bloomingdale's is launching a Heart of New York campaign featuring celebrities and icons in fashion such as Taylor Hill, Bobby Cannavale, Audra McDonald and Luke Rockhold. In interviews, they discuss how Bloomingdale’s shaped their memories of New York as well as Ralph Lauren’s impact on their fashion.

For instance, Mr. Cannavale explains that as a child he remembers Bloomingdale’s as the first department store his mother took him to in New York, as well as the memory that he would look to Ralph Lauren clothing when he was 15 in an attempt to impress girls.

Dedicated store window displays for the campaign are taking a unique slant, as they will be sharing video clips of the campaign cast's interviews, set in iconic New York locations such as Grand Central, the Brooklyn Navy Yard and Central Park.

The cast reinforces the importance of Bloomingdale's in New York. Image credit: Bloomingdale's

Special photographs of the cast will also be placed around the store and on social media.

In addition to campaign content, Ralph Lauren is reaching out to its VIP Top of the List clients with a private dinner celebrating the anniversary.

Bloomingdale's and Ralph Lauren
Bloomingdale’s also recently celebrated its long history with the Big Apple in a campaign that featured local personalities.

"The Heart of New York" campaign, stylized as [heart emoji] of New York, saw five famous New Yorkers recruited for a series in which they talk about their favorite memories of Bloomingdale’s 59th Street location. The campaign was plastered all over New York, including billboards and subway coverage (see story).

U.S. fashion label Ralph Lauren reported that its shares have risen 5 percent after it debuted a new business strategy.

The company saw earnings per diluted share of $1.31 on a reported basis and $1.54 on an adjusted basis for the first quarter of 2019. Ralph Lauren invested 20 percent more in its marketing budget, mostly on its Spring Polo campaign (see story).

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