How Ralph Lauren's Oak Bluffs Line Nails Modern Consumer Engagement

Forbes

5 days ago

Retailer Ralph Lauren recently announced the Polo Ralph Lauren for Oak Bluffs, a limited-edition collection. It is significant because it pays homage to and tells the story of the Oak Bluffs community on Martha's Vineyard, known as a safe haven for Black communities for more than a century.
The collection and Ralph Lauren's rollout provides several great examples of how to authentically engage and earn the attention and loyalty of a community – particularly those from those that have been traditionally underrepresented and underserved.
The consumers of today are not the same as they were even ten years ago. They continue to grow increasingly more diverse with their identities, and more than ever they are expecting brands to acknowledge their identity in marketing.
Here's are some key takeaways from Ralph Lauren's approach that you should use as inspiration in your quest to authentically engage and convert a broader diversity of consumers who have the problem your brand solves.
The Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs Campaign Extended the invitation to Black consumers
One of the common missteps brands take when working to grow a bigger and more diverse customer base, is to not extend an invitation to them to be their customer. Often, brands will produce their products and services, and just expect consumers to be aware that they are welcome.
Ralph Lauren didn't wait for Black consumers to come to them. They saw the community, and this aspect of their culture, and invited the community in by placing this piece of culture on a pedestal through the lens of this special-edition collection.
As a Black woman, I first heard about this collection through the chatter about it from various Black creators discussing and appreciating it on TikTok and YouTube. Although there are some detractors, the sentiment from most of the videos is positive.
The invitation Ralph Lauren extended wasn't just an ad that featured Black people that had the heir of 'here, come buy my stuff.' The campaign took the time to lean into celebrate the story of a place that has held a lot of significance for a component of the Black community.
For those people who had spent time in or already knew about Oak Bluffs, it was a beautiful memory. For those that may not have been aware, it was an invitation to learn more about that slice of history and culture.
The draw for consumers is the elevation of culture, rather than the clothes. The clothes in the collection are not the stars of the show. Rather, they support consumers in being the hero in the narrative and story they derive and connect to as a result of connecting to this gem of Black and American history.
Representation done right
Representation matters. But not all representation is created equal. The Ralph Lauren incorporated representation in meaningful ways throughout the process, that helped bring this campaign to life in meaningful ways that speak to different communities.
The most noticeable representation of course came through the models. That's where most brands stop short. However Ralph Lauren went further with the campaign was directed in partnership with Cole Brown, a Black director, and producer who spent summers on Martha's Vineyard. Campaign imagery including photography and videography was shot by Nadine Ijewere and Azariah Bjørvig respectively, who both have Black heritage.
As part of the campaign, Ralph Lauren produced a documentary about Oak Bluffs, which included people whose families have lived there for more than 100 years, others who visited every summer. Valerie Jarrett, former advisor to President Barack Obama, and who is on the board of directors for Ralph Lauren, also appeared in the documentary, highlighting connectedness to the community through people directly associated with the company.
All this representation including people who are a part of the culture being represented throughout all phases of the development and production process, helped the brand deliver a campaign that is authentic and aspirational. People are even making TikTok videos saying they are trying to save up money to send their kids to summer camp at Oak Bluffs in the future. That's the kind of authentic representation that delivers impact.
Changes the narrative about the Black experience
Too often when brands are working to engage consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities, they do it in a very superficial way that is off-putting to consumers.
The Ralph Lauren Oak Bluffs campaign featured a narrative about Black people and Black culture that is one that isn't often told. It's a story of a summer vacation oasis for Black upper class families. Many of the families owned second homes in Oak Bluffs that has been passed down through generations.
That's a part of Black culture we don't too often see in mainstream media and marketing. Much of what Black culture portrayed is connected to hip hop or struggle culture. This Oak Bluffs connection was enough of a change that featured a different aspect of Black culture, that even some people within the Black community struggled to connect. That's ok, every campaign won't connect with every person.
The Black experience isn't singular. No community's culture and history is. Thus it is important for brands to acknowledge that, and not to only feature and elevate the same or most stereotypical aspect of a culture.
Follow Ralph Lauren's lead with the things they did really well with this campaign to help you do a better job of engaging consumers from underrepresented and underserved communities.