• The Wall Street Journal, Monday, April 7, 2008 12:30 PM

In a departure from the sporty outfits that the team has worn in recent years, American Olympic athletes will be dressed in preppy Polo outfits during opening and closing ceremonies and in the Olympic Village during the 2008 summer games in Beijing.

David Lauren, senior vice president of advertising, marketing and corporate communications at Polo Ralph Lauren, says he is hoping the athletes' new look will help boost America's image internationally. An ad campaign, touting the brand as the "official outfitter of the U.S. Olympic team" will be unveiled this summer.

The Olympics deal is expected to translate into millions in sales of Olympics-branded products that will be carried at Polo boutiques in the U.S. and on the company's Web site starting in mid-July. The company is now negotiating with several U.S. department stores to carry the clothes and is working with officials to potentially set up shops in Beijing. About 10% of sales of the Olympics-branded Polo products reportedly will go to the USOC as royalty payments.

Read the whole story at The Wall Street Journal »