• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, January 5, 2011

Lacoste, the sportswear company best known for its preppy little alligator, is breaking a new "Unconventional Chic" campaign this spring, with models in sequins and tuxedos sporting its classic white polos. 

The campaign replaces the "Un Peu d'Air sur Terre" campaign, a concept that ran for 10 seasons, often with cavorting models leaping through the air, flinging around inner tubes, or wielding croquet mallets.

"We are going through a very strong move in fashion: we are feeling that well-being and elegance, and also the desire to be unconventional, are what primes," the Paris-based company says in its release. "We have translated this vibe into our ad campaign as it matches our brand values. At a time when people are rejecting rigid luxury and demanding simplicity, elegance, and durability more than ever before, Lacoste is asserting its modernity."

Shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Pigott, who have created campaigns for such major brands as Louis Vuitton, Missoni, Armani, Gucci, and Lancome, the ads go for a 1930s-style glamour, and are slated to run in magazines and outdoor, as well as on the Internet and iPad. The agency is BETC Luxe, and the company says it plans to spend roughly $66 million on the ads this year, up a bit from last year's spending.

Despite its identity as a European brand, with a large following throughout Asia, the company says it chose a signature line in English this time because "our brand is global and so is our communication. Our French roots are extremely important ... our signature is English but we say 'chic,' a word said internationally, with a French accent!"

The company, which is also developing jewelry, bags, eyewear, and a Citroën-Lacoste concept car, says it plans to use a separate campaign for its L!VE line and L!VE stores, aimed at a younger crowd.