- Lindsay Gordon

NEW YORK Evian Natural Spring Water is looking to break-dancing babies to energize its brand. The upscale water brand this week is launching its new “Live young” global advertising campaign. The ads, which will appear online in the U.S. and on TV in some overseas markets, look to project the brand's values of health, youth and purity in a more playful way than in the past.

Evian has been struggling during the recession in the U.S. Its sales volume sank 17 percent in 2008, per Beverage Digest. Evian holds only 0.6 percent of the bottled water market. With its high price, premium brands of bottled water like Evian are showing dwindling returns, said John Sicher, editor of Beverage Digest. “Evian has been flattish to down in recent years mainly because the category has moved more towards mid- to low-price brands.”



Evian is hoping for a viral hit on the Web to launch the campaign in the U.S. It is posting the ad on YouTube as well as initiating a new Web site www.evianliveyoung.com dedicated to the campaign. Visitors can view two videos, digital teasers of break-dancing babies and “making-of” clips. “Interviews” with a few of the 96 babies filmed will be available, as well as links to Facebook pages created for the infants.

In the ad, the message “Let’s observe the effect of Evian on your body” appears, followed by lively and happy babies break-dancing on roller skates to a remix of the classic track “Rapper’s Delight” by hip-hop producer Dan the Automater. Euro RSCG is the agency.

 “The Web today has changed the way we communicate and in launching this campaign virally it allows Evian, a global brand, to reach consumers worldwide in a way that traditional media cannot,” said Jerome Goure, vice president of marketing for Danone Waters of America, the importer and marketer of Evian in North America.

The ad will be aired on television in select countries outside North America. It will extend to consumer events around the world, including the Evian Masters Women’s Golf tournament in July and the U.S. Open tennis tournament in August.

Evian spent only $800,000 in U.S. media last year, per Nielsen.

Despite slowing sales, Evian shows potential, said Sicher: “Evian is a strong brand in some markets still. With the right marketing and distribution they should be able to perform more strongly.”


Nielsen Business Media