Starwood’s St. Regis Hotels & Resorts and British automaker Land Rover will come together on the polo field as team sponsors for the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup fundraiser May 15 at the Greenwich Polo Club in Greenwich, CT.
The Sentebale charity was founded by Britain's Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help the neediest children of Lesotho, Africa. St. Regis and Land Rover join other brands such as Hearst’s Town & Country, whiskey maker Royal Salute and British jeweler Garrard to support the fundraising event.
“St. Regis has long been associated with the world of polo, beginning at the turn of the last century when polo matches on Manhattan’s Governors Island were the highlight of the New York social calendar and where St. Regis’ founding family, the Astors, were a prominent fixture,” said Paul James, global brand leader at St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, New York.
“Polo and philanthropy are innate to the legacy of St. Regis and we are honored to continue our support of Sentebale through the sport of kings,” he said.
“In 2013, we are thrilled to support Sentebale again in an effort to raise awareness and support for the improved healthcare and education of children of Lesotho.”
On the field
Two teams will face off during the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup, the Land Rover team and the St. Regis team.
The St. Regis team will be captained by Nacho Figueras, newly appointed St. Regis ambassador and connoisseur. Joining him will be Peter Orthwein, Steve Lefkowitz and Dawn Lauren-Jones.
The Land Rover team will be captained by Malcolm Borwick, the Royal Salute whiskey ambassador and a member of England’s national polo team. Also, Prince Harry, Marc Ganzi and Michael Carrazza will join him on the team.
Prince Harry and Mr. Figueras
In addition to being a team sponsor, Land Rover is the official vehicle sponsor of the event.
"Since Land Rover is a luxury British brand and the equestrian lifestyle resonates with our customers and enthusiasts, it makes perfect sense to support the Sentebale Polo Cup alongside other like-minded luxury brands such as St. Regis and Town & Country," said Kim McCullough, brand vice president at Land Rover North America, Mahwah, NJ.
"As the official Sentebale team sponsor, the Land Rover logo will proudly adorn the uniforms of the Sentebale Land Rover team," she said.
"Additionally, Land Rover will feature several of its models that day including a special preview of the all-new 2014 Range Rover Sport, 2013 Range Rover and the 2013 Range Rover Evoque."
Also, Town & Country will serve as the umpire sponsor for the polo match. The publication also has a rich history in polo and philanthropy.
“Town & Country has been chronicling life on and off the polo field since it was first played in American through today where Prince Harry recently graced the cover of our “Most Eligible Bachelors” issue,” said Jennifer Levene Bruno, publisher and chief revenue officer of Town & Country, New York.
“Town & Country remains a symbol of discerning taste and achievement [and] as the preeminent luxury brand, this is a natural alignment among such a stellar offering of luxury brands at the Sentebale event,” she said.
“Philanthropy is a pillar of our brand and it is our pleasure to support the Prince and the work of his charity.”
Furthermore, British jeweler Garrard is sponsoring the most valuable player award and Scotch whiskey maker Royal Salute is the title sponsor.
Another Scotch whiskey maker Chivas Brothers will also have a presence at the event.
Playing for charity
Many luxury brands are active in donating to charities or hosting their own charities.
For instance, Italian fashion house Gucci is pushing a global philanthropic campaign called Chime for Change through a live concert June 1 that will feature big-name performers such as Beyoncé and Ellie Goulding.
Gucci announced The Sound of Change Live concert that is part of its larger Chime for Change program to help women that launched at the TED2013 conference. Consumers who buy tickets to the concert can then decide the charity to which they would like to donate the proceeds (see story).
Also, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues its company-wide philanthropic efforts through a partnership with the Southampton Hospital Paediatric Rheumatology Service in Southampton, England.
The British automaker chose the rheumatology service to be its house charity for 2013 (see story).
For the Sentebale Royal Salute Polo Cup fundraiser, luxury brands not only get to be part of a charitable event, but also have the opportunity to create additional exposure with the other brand sponsors and Prince Harry.
“St. Regis is delighted to share the polo field and join forces with other luxury brands and Prince Harry in a team effort to support Sentebale and raise awareness for this worthy cause,” St. Regis’ Mr. James said.
Final take
Erin Shea, editorial assistant on Luxury Daily, New York