• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 22, 2014

Lacoste is out to find a whole new audience for its crocodile-d apparel, and is introducing its first-ever TV and cinema ad next month.

Themed “Life is a Beautiful Sport,” the new campaign grew out of 

the brand’s heritage, “a sporty 1930’s elegance, authenticity and joie de vivre,” says Damien Bellon, creative director at BETC, the Paris-based agency behind the effort. “René Lacoste was a creative and competitive man with an optimistic approach, qualities that still pervade the brand. Lacoste is for playful people, people who enjoy challenges, both in sports and daily life,” he tells Marketing Daily via email.

The decision to use TV for the perpetual preppie favorite, shot by British director Seb Edwards, was an important one. “Film is a strong tool to evoke emotions in a way where prints often fall short,” he says. “The storytelling, the moving picture and music remains powerful even in this digital era. We have made a film that goes beyond traditional fashion ads and together with the Lacoste team we’ve tried to offer a universal and timeless message without cultural boundaries.”

The campaign also includes a print and outdoor component, shot by Jacob Sutton. It shows men and women towering “above the city and life’s tribulations,” the agency explains. Ads are running in March magazines and digital formats. 

TV ads are set to launch in France during the Winter Olympics, and will then roll out to other markets, in both 30- and 60-second versions.

Lacoste, with some $2.4 billion in annual sales, is sold in 114 countries.

Women’s Wear Daily reports that the company is increasing its marketing budget by up to 10% this year, with the print and outdoor ads accounting for 40%, and both digital and film getting 30%.

Separately, the company will present this year’s Lacoste Spotlight Award to Amy Adams at the Costume Designers Guild Awards next month in Hollywood.The company, in its fourth year as a presenting sponsor at the event, says it is honoring the five-time Academy Award-nominated actress for personifying “an enduring commitment to excellence, including a special awareness of the role and importance of costume design.”

Adams has recently won a Golden Globe and a Critics’ Choice Award for her performance in David O. Russell’s "American Hustle."