So why did Polo Ralph Lauren go and embarrass us all by not just putting their logo on the clothes but putting in on SO BIG? The white Polo logo against the dark blue navy color of the jackets, because of its tactlessness seemed to a foot high and 6 inches wide on the breast pockets. In fact, they were probably only four of five inches high, but I can vouch for this: you couldn’t miss ‘em, even in the mid-distance shots on a non-Hi-Def teevee.
Ralph Lauren’s logo will be hammered more than notably on every shirt, sweater, pair of shorts, sneakers and sunglasses our American athletes wear in China.
It’s a wonder that the Republican Party didn’t insist on tattooing each athlete's ankles with red elephants.
Moreover, don’t think this effort wasn’t strictly business. No one would tell me all the financial details, but Lauren put out many millions, and received ONLY $10 million for the Olympics scheme which may contractually carry over to Vancouver in 2010 and London in 2012!
Received $10 million? For what? That just has to be wrong.
To be honest, several other fashion purveyors did participate with other national teams, including Rio-based Oestuido for Brazil and, of course, Nike, who supply 23 of 29 Chinese teams with their swooshes.
From my viewer’s standpoint, other makers’ logos were not visible.
The collective gasp of bad taste only came when Lauren paraded his logo on the backs, front, sides, and feet of our kids.
David Lauren added that his look is "very sharp, very graphic on TV, very aspirational and very statesmanlike.”
Graphic? Yes! Statesmanlike? Is he insane? When was that last time you saw former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan wearing a Horse and Rider™ on his suit pocket?
Who’s kidding who? It’ clear as daylight through the Beijing smog that Polo Ralph Lauren is marketing to the four <em>billion</em> people who are projected to watch the Olympics these next weeks.
Lauren said that the company was nervous but excited about last night’s parade. He claimed the Beijing procession honoring world peace through athletics was Polo Ralph Lauren’s “highest-profile moment” in its more than forty-year history.
And they wasted it.
In the end, Alex Badia of DNR said it best: “They have drawn so much from American heritage that it represents the country”.
Yes, isn’t that a shame.
David Lauren underscored his pity for tasteless athletes by providing a booklet to each athlete that instructs them:
* How to wear the Polo clothes well;
* How to button a Polo blazer;
* How to tie a Polo tie;
* How to walk in Polo clothes; and
* How to talk in Polo Clothes.
Oh brother. Time to take junior to the woodshed, Ralph!
You may think I can’t top this story.
Well, it tops itself.
Turns out Lauren also presented George Bush Jr. with his own “opening ceremony uniform”. His navy blazer, however, is embroidered with his title. Bush didn’t wear it; Laura was with him and she has a brain.
Anyway, how do you fit “George DumbBellYou Bush” on a lapel?
Postscript: Here’s a tip for all of you tasteless Neocons. You can buy a replica blazer from Lauren for only $695.00 (or 445.00 Euros) and everything else “Olympic” from Polo Ralph Lauren - but only if you beat the Rush!
http://www.apj.us/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1634&Itemid=2