Ralph Lauren Fragrance is bringing a sustainable focus to its newest launch.
The brand is setting sights on sustainability with Polo Earth, a genderless product that is launching this month at select retailers. The scent ranges in price from $28 for 10 ml. to $148 for 200 ml.
For L’Oréal, which holds the fragrance license for Ralph Lauren, the launch represents a “new way of working,” according to Alex Choueiri, global brand president of Ralph Lauren Fragrances.
“It’s the first product where we pushed sustainability, and as much as we could, we focused on every element of the mix to make it as sustainable as possible,” he said.
Polo Earth is 97 percent natural origin ingredients, including plant-based alcohol. It is also vegan, and the carton, label and wooden cap are all FSC-certified.
The refillable bottle is 30 percent lighter than Ralph Lauren Fragrance’s traditional bottles, and is made with 20 percent post-consumer recycled glass.
“The fragrance industry has this habit of putting a lot of glass to make a product look luxurious and beautiful, but if we’re really serious about wanting to minimize the environmental impact, it should be as light as possible without breaking. The heat to create a bottle has a carbon footprint, and you want to minimize that,” Choueiri said.
The company is also not using cellophane, which is made of plastic, when shipping the product, and the nonprofit Arbor Day Foundation will plant a tree for every unit of the 100 ml. and 200 ml. refills purchased in the U.S.
“There’s really a number of things that we managed to do, and a number of things we’d still like to do,” Choueiri said.
The fragrance’s notes feature bergamot heart, green mandarin and diva lavender; mid notes of rose and sage heart, and base notes of vetiver and bourbon geranium. The alcohol used in the fragrance is naturally derived.
According to a statement, it is in line with Ralph Lauren’s commitment to create 100 percent recyclable, reusable or sustainably sourced packaging by 2025.
“We’ve done a lot of initiatives, and almost every one of our projects for the last year has had something to do with sustainability. We launched the Earth Polo years ago, which kicked off an entire program and division inside of our company dedicated to sustainability,” said David Lauren, chief branding and innovation officer at Ralph Lauren.
“This fragrance has started long before the momentum of those programs, and now I’m happy it’s happening now because it’s hitting home our commitment,” he continued.
Ralph Lauren Fragrances isn’t afraid to activate digitally. Last year’s launch of Ralph’s Club included a virtual clubhouse; Polo Earth will include an augmented reality experience.
“The product will have a QR code, and then it’s going to lead to an experience that shows you the bottle and why it’s sustainable,” Choueiri said. “Then it shows you the seven sustainably sourced ingredients, and because of our partnership with Arbor Day Foundation, you can plant virtual trees in the spaces around you.”
Neither Choueiri nor Lauren commented on sales, although industry sources estimate Polo Earth to reach between $50 million and $60 million at retail in its first year.
For more from WWD.com, see:
Angus Cloud Discovered Vintage Charm at the Ralph Lauren Mansion
Who Owns American Fashion? Ralph Lauren Undertakes a Mission to Highlight the Black Contribution
Ralph Lauren Shifts Digital Team Leadership
Source: WWD