Lacoste, the fine Parisian purveyor of polos and clothing, set out to make major waves in the US market with MATTE. Over the course of two years, we worked directly with the Lacoste CMO to create and inspire their North American community–launching the crocodile into the cultural lexicon.
CHALLENGE
Lacoste is iconic; it has shaped lifestyle, apparel, and sportswear in Europe for over 90 years. But the US was an untapped opportunity. How does an established giant make its mark in America?
STRATEGY
We changed the narrative for Lacoste nationwide by activating global campaigns at a hyper-local level. We built community by leveraging experiences, content, and partnerships designed specifically for the cities in which we activated.
CREATIVE PROCESS
Our creative approach focused on experiences and content that moved the needle. With a shift from product to lifestyle, we threaded brand storytelling through every channel, capturing the heritage, cultural influence, and relevance of Lacoste through locally tailored activations.
RICKY REGAL
We needed to create a community with Lacoste, so we partnered with American icon Bruno Mars, launching a collaborative collection named after the star’s suave alter ego "Ricky Regal."
Alongside “Ricky Regal”, MATTE curated a supporting cast of talent and influencers from lifestyle segments relevant to the Lacoste brand. The campaign featured: “Gilly”, Justine Skye, Fair Khadra, Zack Bia, Mallory Merk, Pedro Cavaliere and Jamea Lynee.
To realize the campaign, MATTE worked as the IAT agency across physical, digital, and social platforms, developing omni-channel creative that made significant impact across socials.
LA CLUB LACOSTE
Lacoste's US community grew with our second activation, targeting our home sport of tennis. We hosted a week-long women’s event in LA, with California native Venus Williams, where we invited local influencers and renowned players to re-cement Lacoste as a cornerstone of LA tennis culture.
MIAMI OPEN
We created a collection film for Lacoste x Miami Open that celebrated fashion on the court and through the streets of the 305. With a sophisticated treatment and compelling storyline, MATTE developed, shot, and produced a film that had people around the world looking at Lacoste in Miami.
“WHEN IT COMES TO BUILDING HYPE AROUND OUR BRAND, MATTE IS REALLY THE ONLY CHOICE. THEY DON’T JUST KNOW THE CULTURE, THEY CREATE IT.”
-JASON KIM, SVP OF MARKETING AT LACOSTE
