LaCroix — 'Mime' National TV Spot
A classically trained mime silently sells you sparkling water.
Fig. 01 — Annotated creative
LaCroix, the ubiquitous sparkling water brand, launched a new national TV campaign in early 2024 featuring a mime. The spots are a notable shift from their typical colorful, social-media-driven presence into the world of broadcast television, aiming to capture a broader audience.
So, a mime walks into a TV commercial. What year is this, 1985? Nope, it’s 2024 and LaCroix is betting on a silent performer to make a lot of noise. The brand, which basically owned the sparkling water boom of the 2010s through sheer force of will and Instagrammable cans, is now on TV trying to win over… well, everyone else.
The spot, titled "Mime," is exactly what it says on the tin. A dude in full mime makeup and a beret (because of course) is trapped in an invisible box. He’s thirsty. He pushes against the walls. He despairs. Then, a can of LaCroix Pamplemousse magically appears. He drinks. He is refreshed. He bursts through the invisible box with renewed mime-vigor. The end. It’s a simple, almost shockingly retro concept.
What’s the insight here? LaCroix is banking on the idea that "refreshment" is a universal feeling that needs no words. The mime is a visual metaphor for being trapped by thirst. The LaCroix is the key to breaking free. It’s a classic problem/solution setup, executed with a theatrical flair that feels both out-of-time and oddly attention-grabbing in a loud, chaotic ad world. It’s a silent film in a sea of TikTok noise.
From a production standpoint, it’s clean, bright, and focused. The set is a minimalist white space, putting all the focus on the mime and the colorful can. This is a strategic move. By stripping away all other distractions, the can of LaCroix becomes the hero, the only splash of color in a black-and-white world (literally). The brand is betting that the visual simplicity will cut through the clutter of a commercial break, making the product itself the undeniable star.