In February 1980, the G. Heileman Brewing Company, of
La Crosse, Wisconsin, introduced LaCroix as one of the first "Anti-
Perrier" brands, meant to appeal to sparkling water consumers who were put off by Perrier's "
snobbish positioning", LaCroix marketed to its niche by imaging itself as an "all occasion" beverage. Its name is pronounced like the
St. Croix River, which forms part of Wisconsin's western border. In 2002, National Beverage sought to rebrand LaCroix and ended up settling on a design that was "least favored by management" but won over target consumers in a "landslide". Instead of staying with a clean and simple design like other water brands, they found that a more bold and colorful approach was more appealing to their audience. National Beverage took the opportunity to expand their consumer base by launching a
social media marketing campaign targeting
millennials. Sales exploded as the brand developed a national
cult following. Their marketing efforts have since helped position LaCroix with mainstream news outlets as a healthier alternative to sugary soda, as well as a mixer for popular
cocktails. In 2025, JDM Distributors Limited became the first official distributor in the UK for La Croix. The brand proved popular as sales started off strongly, with repeat orders from e-commerce platforms aimed at American expats such as American Grocer ==Sales==