Page 26 - #200 June/July 2025

COVER STORY - NAME NAME
COVER | STORY
THE WORLD’S ONLY GLOBAL RETAIL AND LEISURE MAGAZINE
www.rli.uk.com JUNE/JULY 2025 ISSUE 200

U.S. POLO ASSN.
Born to Play Born to Play U.S. Polo Assn.
HARRODS NADINE MERABI THE LUX COLLECTIVE 200
The Future Empowering and Putting
of Luxury Celebrating Women People First
BARRAFINA | ICONIC RETAIL DESTINATIONS | IMMERSIVE ATTRACTIONS & EXPERIENCES | SCALPERS | THE EVOLUTION OF LUXURY RETAIL | URBAN REVIVO
1 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL JULY/AUGUST 2024
“hooked” mallet. The logo is more than a graphic;
it’s a statement of precision, strength and tradition.
As U.S. Polo Assn. celebrates 135 years Designed in the brand’s signature red, white and
of sport inspiration, RLI speaks to blue, the logo is featured across all activations in
J. Michael Prince, President & CEO of 2025 on apparel, packaging, signage and digital
assets, serving as a consistent emblem of heritage
USPA Global, about the brand’s global and momentum.
“Born to Play” campaign, a year of Celebrating Worldwide - What makes this
sport and fashion events and how the anniversary unique is its global scale. The year-long
campaign includes high-profile events across many
iconic label is honouring its heritage major markets where the brand has a footprint.
while driving forward as one of the One of the most memorable: a sold-out exhibi-
world’s leading lifestyle brands. tion match and fashion showcase in Delhi, India, a
market where U.S. Polo Assn. is seeing exponential
N 2025, U.S. Polo Assn. celebrates 135 years of growth. At Jaipur Polo Grounds, HH Maharaja
I sport inspiration, built on polo’s rich heritage Sawai Padmanabh Singh of Jaipur, India led the
while showcasing the power of a brand that now USPA India Team to a dramatic 8-7 victory against
spans more than 190 countries. Far from simply the USPA Global Team in front of VIPs from across
commemorating the past, the official brand of the India. The match was followed by a Spring-Summer
United States Polo Association (USPA) is using this 2025 fashion reveal at D’Monde Members Club,
milestone to underscore its evolution into a global where classic polo aesthetics met contemporary style.
force in fashion, sport and entertainment. “This celebration in Delhi was more than an event
“This anniversary is not just about looking back. - it was a statement,” says Prince. “India is now
It’s about building forward with purpose,” he says. our fastest-growing market and we’re just getting
“Polo is a sport that speaks to passion, discipline and started as we target $1bn in retail sales there.”
community. U.S. Polo Assn. brings that same spirit Other highlights of the tour include prestigious
into everything we do on the field and off.” tournaments at the USPA National Polo Centre in
With over 1,100 branded retail stores worldwide West Palm Beach, Florida, a star-studded party
and thousands of additional points of distribution, U.S. surrounding the Pitti Uomo Trade Show in Florence
Polo Assn. is consistently ranked among the world’s and an iconic pop-up activation and fashion show
top global sports licensors alongside the likes of the in Istanbul, plus other exciting in-store activations
NFL, NBA and MLB. Its rapid expansion into key and digital fan experiences designed to bring polo
international markets, from India to the Middle East culture to new audiences around the world.
and Europe, reflects not only the appeal of the brand, Sport-Inspired Style, Elevated - Another part of
but also the growing accessibility of the sport itself. the 135th campaign is the launch of a Limited-Edi-
More Than a Tagline: Born to Play - This year’s tion Anniversary Collection that pairs timeless
campaign centres on a powerful, unifying message: pieces with premium detail. With celebratory trims,
“Born to Play.” It’s a mantra that connects players, anniversary tags and metallic accents, the collection
fans and consumers alike. “It’s not just about the elevates classic silhouettes like the polo shirt into
game,” Prince explains. “It’s about the spirit of keepsake items.
competition and having fun.” This approach has made U.S. Polo Assn. one of
From immersive digital campaigns and global the few brands able to bridge fashion and sport at
influencer partnerships to in-store events and major scale. Seasonal collections remain rooted in the core
sporting exhibitions, “Born to Play” captures the uniform of the polo athlete - polo shirts, denim and
energy of polo and the brand’s deep connection sporty shoes and accessories, all while evolving and
to it. It’s also the heartbeat of the brand’s Legacy elevating to meet modern consumer tastes.
Campaign, which features professional polo players The Media Play - The brand’s growth isn’t limited
and brand ambassadors with their families bringing to retail. Through Global Polo Entertainment (GPE),
the narrative full circle. U.S. Polo Assn. has built a robust media strategy that
A Logo with Legacy - To honour the anniver- brings the sport to millions of screens worldwide.
sary, U.S. Polo Assn. introduced a custom 135th Thanks to broadcast deals with ESPN in the
Anniversary logo, a modern mark inspired by one U.S. and Star Sports in India, fans now have
of the sport’s rarest and most strategic moves: the unprecedented access to premier polo events like

26 RETAIL & LEISURE INTERNATIONAL JUNE/JULY 2025