La Croix Pure Fun
January 2026: Saw a man carrying a case of La Croix in the snow storm. No gloves, just raw-dogging the flimsy cardboard handle.
Now that’s dedication.
That’s passion. That’s commitment. That’s obsession, addiction. Braving an NYC blizzard for a case of La Croix. The epitome of hardcore.
That was the first idea— a photoshoot inspired by this moment of observation. Leaning into the hardcore nature of New Yorkers, La Croix drinkers, performers and optimizers, athletes and tech bros leveraging La Croix as their hardcore hydration vehicle of choice.
I kept thinking about optimization culture. Wellness culture somehow took a turn into optimized routines, cold plunges, ice baths, sober raves. What if you combined the cold plunges and sober raves to host an igloo / ice cave popup activation? An arctic DJ set.
Don’t you think our obsession with optimization has gotten out of hand?
There are more devices for measuring performance metrics than ever before. Whoop Bands, Oura Rings, Garmins, Coros, etc., etc. Each one has it’s own way of measuring your vitals and providing data about what you could be doing better.
There are also more sports drinks and ‘healthy sodas’ than ever before. Poppi, OLIPOP, Culture Pop, Mightpop. Each one promises its own array of health benefits: electrolytes, antioxidants, protein, vitamin B12, L-theanine, you name it.
The pressure to perform has taken the play out of sport and the fun out of soda. In an era of optimization, the most radical act of defiance is prioritizing fun and pleasure over performance metrics.
How does this tie back to La Croix?
Return to Innocence ; a new kind of fun ; still an alt to soda for the wellness-focused millennial crowd
Lifestyle brand / performance-level hype ; nostalgia-level fun
Social identity to promote the activation/ event ; event branding (posters, projections, merch; tote bags, sweatshirts, beanies/ baseball caps ), special event 12-pack packaging
Obstacle courses?
Roller rink. Bowling. Monkey bars. Adult recess. Culture is going analogue. Optimization is overdone. People just want to have fun again.
Bouncy house, ball pit? Sculptural installations, effervescent hair gel
