So, the other day I was watching some old tennis matches on YouTube, and the name Lacoste kept popping up. You know, the brand with the little crocodile logo? I’d always just thought of it as a fancy clothing brand, but seeing it all over these classic matches got me curious. I mean, what’s the deal with the crocodile, and what does “La Coste” even mean? It’s such a simple name, but I realized I knew nothing about it.
So I did what any normal person would do these days, and I hit up Google. The first thing that popped up was that Lacoste is actually the last name of the dude who started the whole thing, a tennis player named Ren Lacoste. Okay, that makes sense, a lot of brands are named after their founders. But what about the crocodile? That seems a little random, right?
Turns out, this Ren guy was nicknamed “The Alligator” back in the 1920s. Apparently, it had something to do with a bet he made with his coach about a crocodile suitcase. Sounds like a story for another day! Anyway, some journalist heard about this nickname, and it just stuck.
Then, in 1927, this artist named Robert George drew up a little crocodile logo. I guess it was a visual way to represent Ren’s nickname. I gotta say, it’s a pretty clever idea. It’s simple, memorable, and it ties back to the founder’s story. They started putting this little croc on their tennis shirts and later they established the brand in 1933.
Here is what I got from digging around:
- 1923: Ren Lacoste gets nicknamed “The Alligator” by an American journalist.
- 1927: Robert George draws the first crocodile logo.
- 1933: Ren Lacoste and Andr Gillier found the Lacoste company.
And boom, the Lacoste brand was born. It’s kind of cool how a simple nickname turned into one of the most recognizable logos in the world. This crocodile is not just a random animal, it’s a symbol of Ren Lacoste’s personality, his tenacity on the tennis court, and the brand’s whole history.
I also found out that Lacoste isn’t just about tennis anymore. They sell all sorts of stuff now, like regular clothes, shoes, and even watches, and they’ve used that same little crocodile logo on everything. I mean, the fact that they’ve managed to keep the same logo relevant for nearly a century is pretty impressive.
My conclusion
So basically, “La Coste” just means the last name of a tennis legend, and that crocodile is a nod to his nickname from his playing days. It’s a story that’s been passed down for generations, and it’s become a huge part of the brand’s identity. Now that I know this stuff, I’ll never see the crocodile logo the same way again. That’s what I learned today!
