By Heather Taylor, Editor-in-Chief, PopIcon
Should the Polo Bear be cast as the next James Bond? We’re kidding, of course, but viewers of Ralph Lauren’s first animated short film “The Polo Bear Chronicles: Operation Black Tie” can’t deny the Polo Bear has more je ne sais quoi than your average brand mascot.
The nearly six-minute short stars the Polo Bear and his trusty companion Le Pigeon. After finding out a long-missing painting was stolen — and hidden in a Hamptons estate — the Polo Bear packs an overnight bag filled with only the essentials (Ralph Lauren apparel and accessories) and hatches a plan to infiltrate the property, retrieve the painting, and rightfully return it to its museum.
“Operation Black Tie”
We hope we’re not spoiling too much here, but in the event you’re worried the Polo Bear doesn’t manage to pull off the heist, fear not. The urbane icon swiftly gets the job done, as animated by Ralph Lauren Animation Studios.
The in-house animation team pays particularly close attention to the Polo Bear’s wardrobe, indicating the tone of each moment through his aesthetic. He pulls up to his Hamptons beach house rental in a fitted jacket and wears a beanie and cable-knit sweater as he spearheads the heist plan with Le Pigeon.
Every look leads up to the grand finale: a dapper tuxedo and loafers, not unlike the ensembles of other guests on the invite list on the property grounds. And since his outfit is so well tailored, the Polo Bear is at ease ordering a martini as much as he is catapulting through a laser maze to save the priceless piece of artwork.
The Inspiration Behind Making The Polo Bear
The Polo Bear made his debut in 1991, although his backstory goes as far back as 1902.
This was the year Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States, attended a bear hunting trip but was unable to find a bear. Some of his assistants found a bear and tied it to a tree, encouraging Roosevelt to shoot it but the president would not. A political cartoon ran in The Washington Post about Roosevelt’s decision and Morris Michtom, a Brooklyn toy shop owner, saw it. Moved by the president’s compassion, Michtom created a plush bear named “Teddy” (after Roosevelt’s nickname) and dedicated it to Roosevelt. “Teddy’s Bear” became so popular that Michtom was able to mass produce and sell the toy bears shortly afterwards.
According to the Ralph Lauren website, there was another stuffed bear maker named Richard Steiff and Steiff’s bears were beloved by Lauren’s brother, Jerry, who collected them.
In 1990, some of Jerry’s colleagues dressed one of the Steiff bears in Jerry’s signature look of a blue Oxford shirt, tartan tie and cable-knit sweater and gave it to him as a birthday gift. Ralph also received a Western-inspired bear around the same time, and an idea was born for both merchandise and a mascot.
The following year saw the debut of the Polo Bear icon, appearing on apparel and accessories, and the Polo Bear as a teddy bear which quickly sold out at the retailer’s Madison Avenue flagship location in just one weekend. Since then, the Polo Bear has been viewed as the epitome of taste and style while retaining his cuddly appeal.
Will there be more capers to come from the Polo Bear? “The Polo Bear Chronicles” suggests more than one short film in the near future, so we’re hopeful more adventures are on the horizon.
About the Author
Heather Taylor is the senior writer and editor-in-chief of PopIcon, Advertising Week’s blog about brand mascots. Got a pitch on brand mascots or want to wax nostalgic about characters? Drop her a line at howveryheather@gmail.com.
