Paris, April 24, 2024 - This year, Lacoste is reaching new heights with its new larger-than-life brand campaign, “Play Big”. By exploring new territories and placing art at the very heart of the brand, 2024 is undeniably a big year for the Crocodile.
In 2024, Lacoste is boldly seizing the opportunity to take fashion-sport to the next level with this exceptional new campaign, “Play Big”, presented with an elevated artistic treatment.
Always alongside its iconic Crocodile, Lacoste demonstrates its power and once more that it is a resolutely forward-looking brand, adapting to the times and playing a key role in their evolution, with audacity, spirit, and style.x
Just as the crocodile keeps moving, Lacoste keeps making the world’s its fans’ playground, inspiring them to create their own game: “Play Big” is a powerful call to action capturing the breadth of impact of the iconic Crocodile, embracing the inner fortitude of each ambassador at the heart of this campaign, and the unstoppable spirit of the pioneering fashion-sport brand.
To bring this spectacular campaign to life, Lacoste called on four of the most talented creative minds in the industry, with a unique affinity for color, light, and form: contemporary artists Imruh Asha and Ibby Njoya, renowned photographer Willy Vanderperre, and Antonio Sánchez, celebrated for his Birdman soundtrack.
Together, they reimagined the iconic crocodile as a masterful blend of precise engineering, textile art, and craftsmanship, transforming it into a grandiose work of art measuring 8 meters long and nearly 3 meters high, with its jaws agape.
For this campaign, Lacoste chose to spotlight a giant crocodile, a vibrant representation of the brand: colorful, playful and oversized, it perfectly illustrates Lacoste's savoir-faire and wittiness.
As a pioneer of fashion-sport, it was essential for Lacoste to reference tennis, elevating textile materials such as mesh, cotton polo, and knitwear, to create a strong fashion and savoir-faire connection. Thus, the colossal crocodile sculpture is made entirely of traditional tennis materials.
Check out Lacoste's distinguished tennis collections, merging classic aesthetics with modern sophistication, designed for peak performance and effortless style.
“Play Big” finds its heartbeat in the uniqueness and strength of six iconic ambassadors, each an inspirational figure in their bespoke field, and each embodying the audacity, unlimited creativity, and confidence that is the very essence of Lacoste. The beacon of this campaign, the iconic crocodile, interacts in unique ways with each ambassador, reflecting their individual style, personality, and driving force.
Serbian tennis legend, the player with the most Grand Chelem titles, stands strong, nonchalantly holding apart a crocodile's jaws. Demonstrating the calmness, power, and fearlessness that have propelled him to unprecedented heights in the sport, Djokovic's relaxed demeanor mirrors his unparalleled dominance on the court.
Venus Williams, a revolutionary force in tennis, is captured in a playful pose within the crocodile's open jaws. Her unwavering grace and commitment to excellence are mirrored in her confident stance, symbolizing the power of two iconic forces meeting in a larger-than-life encounter. Venus faces off against the crocodile with the same charisma she brings to her on-court opponents.
Pierre Niney, a celebrated French actor, breathes life into tradition and modernity, embodying the brand's elegance and audacity. His deep-seated connection with Lacoste, fostered by his love for tennis, is evident as he casually tosses a tennis ball into the crocodile's mouth, reviving an iconic image and bringing a historic campaign to life.
South Korean singer and model, Jeon So-mi, brings a vibrant energy to the campaign. Meeting the Crocodile in an encounter that's as charismatic as it is fashionable, So-mi's playful poses and youthful energy perfectly encapsulate Lacoste's ethos of elegance, audacity, and authenticity.
Ahn Hyo Seop, South Korean actor, reminisces about his childhood memories of Lacoste, as he fearlessly poses within the crocodile's jaws. His tranquil yet bold stance mirrors his meteoric rise in the film world, while his red polo t-shirt subtly blends with the crocodile’s red tongue, creating a chameleon effect.
WANG YIBO, one of Asia’s most influential young artists, demonstrated his talents in various fashion expressions, leading the trend with a unique attitude to the campaign. Lofting his leg in the air, he symbolizes the grace, audacity, and balance required in his various roles. His philosophy of life, the liberation of movement, resonates with Lacoste’s own objectives, both on and off the sports field.
