Iconic Ads: Evian – Roller Babies

Concerns about the environment and the economy put pressure on Europe’s natural mineral water market. Tap water was the cheapest option.

Evian’s native market, France, was still its strongest, but 54 percent of Evian consumers believed the brand was too costly, and 32 percent couldn’t think of a credible reason to purchase it.

In addition, in 2009, the global recession affected demand for premium water, and environmental concerns drove down sales of bottled water generally. Evian, on the other hand, was unable to cut its pricing due to high export expenses. In comparison to other French spring water brands, Evian was three times more costly. In other parts of Europe, such as the United Kingdom, Germany, and Belgium, the disparity was much more pronounced.

The advertising agency, BETC, Paris, was entrusted with making Evian a really global brand that had a consistent global territory. To re-establish a connection with its customers, Evian had to boost its emotional appeal by strengthening its equity. A low-investment event for the brand might bring it back to the spotlight.

The water’s authenticity had been the subject of previous advertisements, but it wasn’t enough to entice customers anymore.

Doctors began recommending Evian as the best water for newborns in 1935 because of its high mineral content. BETC Paris created its “Live Young” campaign based on this knowledge of the health-consciousness and desire to stay young of the people it wanted to reach.

When it comes to images of newborns, people are physiologically programmed to feel connected to them. According to research, seeing a baby’s face elicits feelings of joy and compassion in the vast majority of individuals, regardless of race, culture, or demography. A misplaced wallet with a photo of a baby in it was two times more likely to be returned than one with images of pets, families, or spouses. Newborns are potent memes in the digital arena because of this, and even quite banal YouTube videos of laughing babies may acquire hundreds of millions of views.

It was imperative that the brand’s message be amplified in an engaging manner. “Water Babies” was the company’s first foray into CGI, and although it was a hit, it was exceeded by “Roller Babies.” CGI infants were seen breaking a hip-hop routine to Rappers Delight in this commercial, with the tagline “Let’s observe the effects of Evian on your body.” Valérie Chidlovsky and Agnès Cavard, together with Gregory Ferembach, conceived the film.

Television news in France and Belgium began airing the commercial within three days of its release. It went on to become the most-watched viral video of all time, with over 130 million views and was even included in the Guinness Book of World Records.