A Times spokeswoman says this is the first time the app will have a single sponsor. Usually, there are six advertisers for the app, which launched in April 2010. It has since been downloaded 2.5 million times and receives 850,000 unique visitors per month, a Times rep says. The rep declined to say how much such a sponsorship costs. Reps from Ralph Lauren could not be reached for comment.
Ralph Lauren's campaign will also provide free access to five normally paid sections of the app, including Fashion & Style, Home & Garden, T Magazine, Sports and Travel. In addition, the brand will run live streaming video of its Fashion Week runway show on Sept. 15 and introduce a new type of expandable ad called a "magalog."
Ralph Lauren typically makes a big splash in the Times in September, when the industry introduces its new fall lines. In the past, the brand has executed front-page takeovers of the newspaper's homepage.