Company Lends Classic Polo Player Icon to Designated 'Pink Pony' Products To Benefit New Campaign

NEW YORK, Sept. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL - news) today launched the Pink Pony Campaign, a national initiative to reduce disparities in cancer care by raising awareness as well as enhancing prevention, screening and treatment in poor and under-served communities. As part of the Campaign, the Company will lend its classic polo player icon to designated Pink Pony products that will be available in Polo retail stores and on polo.com. Contributions generated by the sale of these products will go to programs dedicated to reducing disparities in cancer treatment and increasing access to quality care. This is the first time that the Company has lent its Polo icon to a philanthropic cause.

The Pink Pony Campaign marks the next phase of Polo Ralph Lauren's commitment to this important cancer issue. In June, the Company announced a $5 million donation to establish The Ralph Lauren Center for Cancer Prevention and Care, a hospital-based cancer treatment facility located in Harlem. Through a unique partnership between North General Hospital and Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, the Ralph Lauren Center will provide comprehensive education, screening and diagnostic services for breast and other cancers tailored to meet the specific needs of the Harlem community. Under the direction of Dr. Harold Freeman, President and CEO of North General Hospital, the Ralph Lauren Center is also planned as a model for similar programs in under-served communities nationwide. Dr. Freeman is a renowned cancer researcher and a leading authority on the impact of poverty on health care.

Long recognized for his early leadership in the fight against breast cancer, Ralph Lauren more than ten years ago made a personal and corporate commitment to finding a cure for this disease. Mr. Lauren helped establish The Nina Hyde Center for Breast Cancer Research at Georgetown University Medical Center and went on to design the first ``target'' logo for the Council of Fashion Designers of America's successful ``Fashion Targets Breast Cancer '' campaign, which has raised millions of dollars for breast cancer research. Now Mr. Lauren and Polo Ralph Lauren hope to call attention to an equally important and often overlooked cancer issue -- disparate access to cancer screening and treatment in poor and under-served communities.

``Dr. Freeman helped raise my awareness of the inadequate levels of cancer care available in poor and minority communities across the nation, including many areas of New York City,'' said Ralph Lauren, Chairman and CEO, Polo Ralph Lauren. ``We know that too many Americans suffer disproportionately from cancer because they lack access to basic, quality health care.''

To support the Pink Pony Campaign, Polo Ralph Lauren has designed a limited number of traditional black and white Polo shirts and t-shirts with Pink Pony logos that will be available this fall in Polo retail stores and on polo.com. A broader distribution will be available in spring 2001. Fifteen dollars from the sale of each shirt will go towards raising cancer awareness and enhancing prevention, screening and treatment in the under-served community.

``We know that there are many other communities in need, and the Pink Pony Campaign provides a vehicle that will allow us to help bring future cancer treatment centers, like the one we've created in Harlem, to other cities,'' added Lauren. ``The initiative is an important first step, but it is my hope that others will join us in this campaign to help ensure that people everywhere are able to receive the screenings that make it possible to detect cancer at an earlier, more curable stage.''

Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation (NYSE: RL - news) is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 30 years, Polo's reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. The Company's brand names, which include, ``Polo by Ralph Lauren,'' ``Polo Sport Ralph Lauren,'' ``Ralph Lauren Collection,'' ``Ralph Lauren Purple Label,'' ``RALPH by Ralph Lauren,'' ``Lauren by Ralph Lauren,'' ``Polo Jeans Co. Ralph Lauren,'' and ``Chaps Ralph Lauren,'' among others, constitute one of the world's most widely recognized families of consumer brands. In April 1999, Polo Ralph Lauren acquired Club Monaco, a vertical lifestyle retailer based in Toronto. In February 2000, Ralph Lauren Media LLC was formed as a joint venture between Polo Ralph Lauren, NBC and two of NBC's affiliated companies -- ValueVision International, Inc. (Nasdaq: VVTV - news) and NBC Internet, Inc. (Nasdaq: NBCI - news) -- to bring the Polo Ralph Lauren American lifestyle experience to consumers via multiple media platforms, including the Internet, broadcast, cable and print.

SOURCE: Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation