Lacoste’s Crocodile has got friends.
Brands have a voice. A lot of brands actively use this voice to bring about positive change in the society. This time it was the famous French clothing brand- Lacoste.
Lacoste is a famous clothing brand that was opened in 1933 by tennis player René Lacoste and André Gillier. The brand soon became so famous that fans started calling René Lacoste as “the crocodile”. Making Life a beautiful sport, Lacoste ventured into making shoes and accessories as well. Although the brand grew leaps and bounds, the Crocodile remained the same for years. Everyone knows that the crocodile is dear to the brand, but not many people know that it is so dear that the brand had got in a battle with a chinese brand who had a similar logo and got an agreement on the case after which the chinese brand had to change its logo. While, Lacoste has proved to the world that the crocodile stands for Lacoste, this time, the brand has showed the world that Lacoste stands for wildlife preservation.
How?
Lacoste temporarily replaced it’s logo with the images of 10 endangered species of animals. The aim behind this step was to help counter extinction. This was a limited edition series and the shirts were launched at the Paris Fashion Week and were sold out immediately. For each species, the number of polo shirts produced corresponded with the the number of individuals of the species that were known to remain in the wild.
The Sumatran Tiger and the Anegada Rock Iguana were amongst the other endangered species that the brand carved on the shirt. The shirts were a part of the “Save Our Species” campaign. Lacoste took this step as a collaborative effort with the International Union for Conservation of Nature in fighting for wildlife conservation worldwide.
People across the world lauded this gesture by Lacoste. Wildlife expert Jeff Corwin said “It’s a great start and I’m hoping it’s just the beginning and inspires other companies to follow suit, maybe Jaguar will do something for jaguars. Ram trucks maybe will start protecting bighorn sheep.”
Lacoste’s crocodile logo was introduced in 1936 and the company has never before sold shirts featuring other animals. While the brand took this step, the chicness of the design or the style did not differ and it made a statement that many brands resist from making. This step certainly spoke volumes about the brand’s efforts towards a cause. The brand has always been one that people have loved and with this gesture the love for the brand only amplifies.
