Evian: Waterboy
Evian aimed to refresh its brand image and connect with a younger audience, moving beyond simple hydration. They needed a campaign that would dramatize the unique, revitalizing qualities of Evian water, inspiring consumers to embrace resilience and personal growth. The goal was to build emotional resonance and increase brand relevance.
Creative Idea
Evian personified water as a resilient creature, overcoming challenges to Queen's anthem.
Evian personified water as "Patty-O-Rhyme," a resilient, playful creature that overcomes challenges and transforms, set to Queen's "We Will Rock You," to symbolize the revitalizing and empowering nature of Evian water, encouraging consumers to embrace their inner strength.
The Anthem That Topped the Pop Charts
The Birth of BETC Music
The 2004 campaign marked a pivotal shift for BETC Euro RSCG, evolving the brand from a functional health product into a "badge of youthfulness." Creative leaders Rémi Babinet and Fabrice Brovelli used this project to pioneer "advertainment," treating the commercial as a high - production music video. This strategy birthed BETC Music, a dedicated arm designed to bridge the gap between global brands and the music industry. The centerpiece was a cover of Queen’s "We Will Rock You" featuring adult vocals digitally manipulated by Capitaine Plouf to sound like children. The track became a cultural phenomenon, selling 1.3 million physical copies and topping European charts as a standalone single.
CGI Physics and the Naive Reverse
Directed by the duo Soandsau and produced by Quad Productions, the film was a technical landmark for its era. The "Waterboy" character required sophisticated CGI to simulate fluid transparency while interacting with real - world physics, such as freezing into ice or dissolving sugar. Beyond the screen, the campaign utilized clever wordplay; in 2005, the agency distributed bottles labeled "Naive" - Evian spelled backward - to highlight water conservation during a South African drought.
Driving Volume and Market Share
The "entertainment - first" approach yielded massive commercial returns. In the UK, Evian achieved a 3.5% volume market share increase within twelve months, while French sales grew by 7%. The campaign’s likeability scores tracked 11% above industry norms, proving that the "inner baby" concept resonated deeply with consumers. This success laid the groundwork for the 2009 "Roller Babies" global platform, shifting the brand’s visual language from serene mountains to dynamic, youthful energy.
Creative Strategy Deconstructed
Company
Evian could credibly deliver a message about water's inherent purity, resilience, and transformative power, stemming from its natural source.
Category
The bottled water category typically focuses on refreshment, purity, or athletic performance, often using serene nature imagery or active lifestyle shots.
Customer
The audience sought a feeling of revitalization and empowerment, desiring a product that could symbolize resilience and help them overcome daily challenges.
Culture
The cultural context embraced anthems of collective strength and individual perseverance, making a song like "We Will Rock You" resonate widely.
Company
Evian could credibly deliver a message about water's inherent purity, resilience, and transformative power, stemming from its natural source.
Category
The bottled water category typically focuses on refreshment, purity, or athletic performance, often using serene nature imagery or active lifestyle shots.
Strategy:
Personify a natural element to symbolize inner strength and transformative potential.
Customer
The audience sought a feeling of revitalization and empowerment, desiring a product that could symbolize resilience and help them overcome daily challenges.
Culture
The cultural context embraced anthems of collective strength and individual perseverance, making a song like "We Will Rock You" resonate widely.
Strategy:
Personify a natural element to symbolize inner strength and transformative potential.
Strategy Technique
Build a Brand Myth
Evian created the mythical character Patty-O-Rhyme to embody water's transformative power and resilience. This narrative elevates the brand beyond a simple product, giving it a compelling, aspirational story.
Explore Technique
Creative Technique
Story-Driven Campaign
The campaign follows Patty-O-Rhyme's journey, a water creature overcoming obstacles and transforming. This narrative arc effectively dramatizes the product's benefits through an engaging, evolving character.
Explore Technique
Craft Breakdown
The campaign's craft is exceptional due to its fluid and creative 2D animation, which brings simple shapes to life with dynamic character design and environmental interaction, all underscored by an iconic and perfectly integrated musical track.
The fluid, morphing, and interactive 2D animation is central to the ad's charm and effectiveness, making the simple water character incredibly expressive and versatile.
The iconic "We Will Rock You" song is brilliantly reinterpreted and integrated, not just as background music, but as a driving force for the narrative and a core element of the ad's message of overcoming challenges.
The minimalist yet vibrant visual style, with its clean lines, bold colors, and clever use of negative space, creates a distinct and memorable aesthetic for the campaign.
Beyond the music, the playful sound effects for splashes, jumps, and character interactions enhance the dynamic nature of the animation and the character's personality.
The brilliant synergy between the fluid, minimalist animation and the driving rhythm and vocal participation of Queen's "We Will Rock You" is what truly elevates this campaign, making it both visually compelling and audibly unforgettable.
