At seaports and airports, in small towns and in large cities, Americans have long gathered to send their native athletes off to the Olympic Games in various capitals of the world. For the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Ralph Lauren is aiming to get more fans involved by organizing a digital send-off through Facebook.
From Tuesday until Sept. 9, users can write a message and upload photos from their Facebook albums, hard drives and webcams to "cheer" on athletes through Ralph Lauren's as well as Macy's Facebook Pages. Cheers can also be uploaded through the mobile version of Facebook's website.
Those messages will be showcased on Ralph Lauren's Facebook app and screened to U.S. athletes during team processing and throughout the USA House in London.
For each cheer uploaded through the app, the fashion retailer -- which has also designed the official Team USA Opening Ceremony Parade uniforms -- will donate $1 to the U.S. Olympic Committee, up to $25,000.
It wouldn't be a proper branded Facebook app, of course, without an ecommerce element. In addition to uploading and browsing cheers, the app also invites users to shop Ralph Lauren's and Macy's 2012 Olympics collections. Purchases can be completed on ralphlauren.com and macys.com, respectively.