Evian
A French natural mineral water brand sourced near Évian-les-Bains in the French Alps.
Last updated November 4, 2026
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Overview
Evian is a French natural mineral water brand owned by Danone and sourced from several protected springs near Évian-les-Bains, on the southern shore of Lake Geneva. Its identity is closely associated with the Alpine landscape, the town of Évian-les-Bains, and a premium interpretation of bottled water based on natural mineral composition and source provenance. The commercial history of the brand traces back to 1826, when the Société des Eaux Minérales was established around the local mineral-water business. The Cachat water operation subsequently became a public company in 1859 under the name Société anonyme des eaux minérales de Cachat. After Savoy became part of France in 1860, the water was incorporated into the French regulatory and commercial system. Bottling was reauthorized by the French Ministry of Health in 1878 following a recommendation from the French Academy of Medicine, helping establish the legitimacy of the source for broader distribution. Evian moved from local spring commerce toward industrial packaged-water production during the twentieth century. It began selling water in glass bottles in 1908, using bottles made by Souchon-Neuvesel, a glass manufacturer whose later corporate history connected it with Owens-Illinois. The brand introduced its first PVC bottle in 1969 and later adopted collapsible polyethylene terephthalate packaging in 1995. These packaging changes reflected the wider development of modern mass-market bottled water while allowing Evian to retain a premium visual identity. In 1970, BSN Group acquired full control of the Evian brand. BSN later evolved into Danone, making Evian part of a large French food and beverage group. The brand entered the United States in 1978 and subsequently developed an extensive international presence. Its products are sold through grocery, convenience, hospitality, food-service, travel-retail, and premium lifestyle channels in numerous markets. Evian's positioning combines source authenticity, Alpine imagery, mineral-water heritage, and luxury-oriented design. It has frequently used limited-edition bottles and collaborations with fashion designers to distinguish the brand from mainstream packaged-water competitors. Designers associated with special-edition bottles have included Diane von Fürstenberg, Elie Saab, Kenzo, Alexander Wang, Christian Lacroix, Chiara Ferragni, Virgil Abloh, Moncler, and Balmain. The brand has also pursued entertainment and celebrity associations, including a 1998 collaboration with Virgin Records and EMI on the Club Nation mix album, as well as ambassador relationships with public figures such as Dua Lipa and Emma Raducanu. Marketing has also emphasized youthfulness and visual spectacle. The 2009 Evian Roller Babies campaign became one of the brand's best-known advertising efforts and received a Gold Award at the 2009 London International Awards for Best Visual Effects. Alongside conventional mineral-water products, Danone has used the Evian name for organic skin-care products and for a luxury resort in Évian-les-Bains, extending the brand into adjacent wellness and hospitality contexts. Environmental responsibility has become an increasingly important part of Evian's public positioning. In 2008, the brand created the Evian Water Protection Institute to support water and wetland management projects associated with the Ramsar Convention in Thailand, Argentina, and Nepal. Its Alpine production site was described as France's largest carbon-neutral food and beverage production site in 2015. Evian has also promoted the use of post-consumer recycled PET, recycling initiatives with Recyclebank, and a 2018 goal of making all of its plastic bottles from 100% recycled plastic by 2025. In April 2020, the brand stated that it had achieved carbon neutrality. That claim later became the subject of a US consumer lawsuit, making environmental substantiation and the meaning of carbon-neutral labeling significant issues for the brand. Evian remains a…
History
Evian's history is rooted in the mineral springs near Évian-les-Bains, a resort town on the southern shore of Lake Geneva. In 1826, the Société des Eaux Minérales was founded to commercialize local mineral water. The business later became the Société anonyme des eaux minérales de Cachat in 1859, marking an important step in the formal corporate development of the Cachat water operation. The political status of the region changed in 1860, when Savoy was incorporated into France under the Treaty of Turin. The source subsequently operated within the French regulatory framework. In 1878, the French Ministry of Health reauthorized bottling of Cachat water following a recommendation from the French Academy of Medicine. This authorization helped support the source's transition from a locally known mineral spring into a recognized bottled-water business. Packaging and distribution developed significantly during the twentieth century. In 1908, Evian water began to be sold in glass bottles produced by Souchon-Neuvesel, a glass manufacturer that later became associated with Owens-Illinois. The use of standardized glass packaging enabled more consistent commercial distribution and reinforced the product's identity as a packaged source water. In 1969, the brand introduced its first PVC bottle, reflecting the industry's move toward lighter and more flexible plastics. A major ownership change occurred in 1970, when BSN Group obtained complete control of the Evian brand. BSN later developed into the Danone Group, and Evian became one of Danone's internationally recognized food and beverage brands. Evian entered the US market in 1978, adding an important international sales territory to its European base. In 1995, the brand moved to collapsible PET bottles, further modernizing its packaging system. The brand's international growth was accompanied by increasingly deliberate premium marketing. Evian presented itself not merely as a functional source of hydration but as a lifestyle product linked to Alpine nature, French provenance, wellness, and refined design. Limited-edition bottles became a recurring part of its communications strategy, with collaborations involving fashion designers such as Diane von Fürstenberg, Elie Saab, Kenzo, Alexander Wang, Christian Lacroix, Chiara Ferragni, Virgil Abloh, Moncler, and Balmain. In 1998, Evian worked with Virgin Records and EMI on the Club Nation mix album, using extensive brand placement across the album packaging and discs. The 2009 Roller Babies campaign became a defining example of the brand's use of animation, special effects, and internet-friendly visual storytelling. Evian continued to use cultural and celebrity associations, including ambassador relationships with Dua Lipa and Emma Raducanu. In 2023, the brand collaborated with Balmain on a fashion collection called Balmain X Evian, demonstrating the continued overlap between the water brand and luxury-fashion marketing. Environmental and resource-management issues became increasingly prominent in Evian's public identity. In April 2008, the company created the Evian Water Protection Institute to support three water and wetland management projects linked to the Ramsar Convention: Bung Khong in Thailand, the La Plata Basin in Argentina, and the Jagdishpur Reservoir in Nepal. The brand also worked on reducing energy and water use, incorporating post-consumer recycled PET into high-volume bottle formats, and encouraging recycling through a partnership with Recyclebank. Evian's Alpine production site was described in 2015 as France's largest carbon-neutral food and beverage production site. In 2018, Evian announced a goal of using 100% recycled plastic in all of its plastic bottles by 2025. In April 2020, it claimed to have achieved carbon neutrality. That statement generated legal scrutiny in the United States. A class action filed in October 2022 alleged that the carbon-neutral claim was false or misleading. In January 2024, the US District Court permitted the action to proceed, reasoning that the term carbon neutral could be ambiguous to consumers and that product labeling might not sufficiently explain its meaning. Danone's lawyers argued that consumers should not interpret the claim as meaning the water reached them without any carbon emissions. The litigation illustrates the reputational and regulatory sensitivity of environmental claims in the bottled-water sector. Today, Evian remains an active Danone brand with broad international distribution. Its history combines regulated mineral-water production, corporate consolidation, packaging innovation, global expansion, premium design partnerships, celebrity-oriented advertising, and an evolving sustainability agenda.
- 2024
Carbon-neutral labeling case allowed to proceed
[1]A US federal judge allowed a consumer class action concerning Evian's carbon-neutral claim to continue.
- 2023
Balmain X Evian collection
[1]Evian and Balmain introduced a high-fashion collection under the Balmain X Evian name.
- 2022
Balmain limited-edition collaboration
[1]Evian collaborated with Balmain on a designer bottle associated with the brand's fashion partnerships.
- 2020
Carbon-neutrality claim made
[1]Evian stated that it had achieved carbon neutrality.
- 2018
100% recycled-plastic target announced
[1]Evian announced an objective of using 100% recycled plastic in all plastic bottles by 2025.
- 2009
Roller Babies campaign launched
[1]Evian launched the Roller Babies advertising campaign, which received a London International Awards Gold Award for Best Visual Effects.
- 2008
Evian Water Protection Institute created
[1]The brand established an institute supporting water and wetland management projects associated with the Ramsar Convention.
- 1995
Collapsible PET packaging adopted
[1]Evian switched to collapsible polyethylene terephthalate bottles.
- 1978
US market entry
[1]Evian began selling in the United States.
- 1970
BSN takes full control
[1]BSN Group acquired 100% control of the Evian brand; BSN later became part of the Danone Group.
Products and positioning
Premium natural mineral water associated with French Alpine source provenance, purity, wellness, fashion, and sustainability.
Natural mineral water · 1826
Evian Natural Mineral Water
Evian's core product is natural mineral water bottled from protected sources near Évian-les-Bains in the French Alps. It is marketed around source origin, mineral character, French provenance, and natural purity. The product is available in multiple bottle formats and packaging materials across international retail, hospitality, food-service, and travel channels.
Premium packaged water · 2013
Evian limited-edition designer bottles
Evian has repeatedly released limited-edition bottles created with fashion and luxury designers. These editions use distinctive graphics, colors, silhouettes, or finishes to turn the bottle into a collectible lifestyle object while retaining the underlying natural mineral water proposition. Collaborators have included Diane von Fürstenberg, Elie Saab, Kenzo, Alexander Wang, Christian Lacroix, Chiara Ferragni, Virgil Abloh, Moncler, and Balmain.
Sustainable packaging · 2018
Evian recycled-PET bottles
Evian's recycled-PET packaging initiative incorporates post-consumer recycled plastic into selected high-volume bottle formats. In 2018, the brand announced a goal of making all plastic bottles from 100% recycled plastic by 2025. The initiative forms part of the brand's broader effort to reduce packaging impacts and promote recycling.
Skin care
Evian organic skin care
Danone has also used the Evian name for an organic skin-care line. This represents an extension of the brand beyond bottled water into wellness and personal-care products, although the water brand remains Evian's principal commercial association.
Luxury hospitality
Évian resort
The Evian name is also used in connection with a luxury resort in Évian-les-Bains. The resort extends the brand's association with the source town, wellness, hospitality, and premium tourism, creating a place-based expression of the broader Evian identity.
Controversies
2024
Court permits carbon-neutrality case to proceed
A US federal judge allowed the consumer case to proceed, stating that carbon neutral could be ambiguous and that consumers might reasonably be confused by the claim. Danone argued that consumers should not interpret the statement as meaning the product reached them without any carbon emissions.
2022
Consumer lawsuit over carbon-neutral labeling
A proposed US class action alleged that Evian's carbon-neutral claim was false or misleading. The case challenged how consumers would understand the environmental statement appearing in connection with the product.
Marketing campaigns
- 2023Balmain X Evian
International
Evian collaborated with Balmain on a high-fashion collection that broadened the relationship beyond a single bottle design and connected the brand with luxury apparel and accessories.
Outcome. Reinforced the brand's long-running association with fashion and design.
- 2013Fashion designer bottle series
International
Evian began a prominent series of limited-edition bottles developed with fashion designers, starting with Diane von Fürstenberg and continuing with other luxury and contemporary designers.
Outcome. Strengthened Evian's premium, collectible, and fashion-oriented positioning.
- 2009Evian Roller Babies
International
The campaign used digitally produced images of roller-skating babies to communicate youthfulness and vitality. Its visual-effects execution helped the campaign gain substantial recognition, including a Gold Award at the 2009 London International Awards.
Outcome. Became one of Evian's most recognizable advertising campaigns and received creative-award recognition.
- 1998Club Nation
International
Evian worked with Virgin Records and EMI on the Club Nation mix album. The partnership incorporated prominent brand placements into the album cover, booklet, and discs, linking the water brand with club culture and electronic music.
Outcome. Extended Evian's cultural marketing into music and entertainment.
Brand decisions
2020
Carbon-neutrality claimStrategyBackground
Evian sought to communicate progress on emissions and environmental performance.
Action taken
The brand stated that it had achieved carbon neutrality.
Aftermath
The claim was challenged in a US consumer lawsuit filed in 2022, and a federal court allowed the case to proceed in 2024.
2018
Commitment to 100% recycled plasticStrategyBackground
Plastic waste and packaging sustainability had become major reputational issues for bottled-water companies.
Action taken
Evian announced a goal of producing all plastic bottles from 100% recycled plastic by 2025.
Aftermath
The commitment became a central part of Evian's sustainability narrative and was later considered alongside scrutiny of its broader environmental claims.
2008
Water-protection program establishedStrategyBackground
Water stewardship and wetland protection were becoming more prominent elements of environmental brand responsibility.
Action taken
Evian created the Evian Water Protection Institute to support three projects connected with the Ramsar Convention.
Aftermath
The initiative gave the brand an international conservation platform beyond its source-site operations.
1995
Switch to collapsible PET bottlesStrategyBackground
Packaged-water producers were adopting lighter plastic formats and more flexible packaging systems.
Action taken
Evian changed to collapsible polyethylene terephthalate bottles.
Aftermath
The change modernized the brand's packaging while supporting large-scale international distribution.
1970
BSN acquires full control of EvianM&ABackground
Evian became part of the BSN Group's beverage portfolio during a period of consolidation in the French food and drink industry.
Action taken
BSN Group took 100% control of the Evian brand.
Aftermath
The later transformation of BSN into Danone placed Evian within Danone's international brand portfolio.
Recent events
evian launches re-new refillable dispenser in the UK[3]
Reported:
evian launched its re-new refillable home water dispenser in the UK. The device uses a five-litre refill container, which the article says contains 60% less plastic by weight than a 1.5-litre evian bottle.
Tesco begins selling evian re-new[3]
Reported:
Tesco became the first UK retailer to stock evian’s re-new device, with sales beginning at 18 supermarkets and on Tesco’s website on 14 June.
evian launches evian+ sparkling and flavored water range[4]
Reported:
evian announced the launch of evian+, a U.S.-available range of sparkling and flavored drinks made with evian natural mineral water and enriched with magnesium and zinc.
evian receives global carbon-neutral certification[5]
Reported:
evian announced that it received carbon-neutral certification to the PAS 2060 standard from the Carbon Trust, covering the countries where the brand is present.
Sources5 sources
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