Lacoste uses Djokovic as the pay off in polite Wimbledon ad

Lacoste’s ‘Life is a Beautiful Sport’ by BETC uses glamour and restraint to put up a good case for its tennis-adjacent apparel.

Directed by Fredrik Bond, the ad opens with a young woman (later revealed to be a ball girl) clutching a tennis ball and sprinting through Paris. The journey sees her politely slip through markets, kitchens and golf courses, with apologetic "pardons", before the MO of her quest is revealed; she was chasing after one of tennis star Novak Djokovic’s stray balls.

The ad succeeds by creating a mystery around why she is running, enhanced, of course, by the opulent architecture and kinetic distraction. The reveal takes place when she arrives at Court Philippe-Chatrier at Roland-Garros and hands the ball to Novak Djokovic, justifying her breathless haste.

The ad succeeds in positioning Lacoste’s niche for luxury aesthetics and sportswear functionality, while playing on its long-standing association with tennis. The campaign also marks the return of the 2014 slogan 'Life is a Beautiful Sport' after more than a decade, underlining its brand ethos even further.

Comparison

We were reminded of a recent ad by Nike, which also focuses on a kinetic mystery and sporting pay off.

Both films ask audiences to stay curious instead of immediately delivering the answer. But while Nike cuts an urban, adrenaline-fuelled sense of class, Lacoste is more concerned with subtly telegraphing class and restraint.

Compared with Lacoste's recent 'Play Big' campaign, which leaned harder into celebrity ambassadors and fashion iconography, 'Life is a Beautiful Sport' feels warmer, smarter, and more subtly humorous.

Credits

Brand: Lacoste
Agency: BETC
Director: Fredrik Bond
Photographer: Angelo Pennetta
Ambassador: Novak Djokovic