Evian's "Roller Babies" video, launched in 2009, held the official Guinness World Record for the most viral video advert of all time (until 2013). As one of the first YouTube-exclusive ad campaigns, it set the way for a new strategy of seeding content, testing creative, and building on a global brand. Launched as a web-centric campaign, 'Roller Babies' quickly became viral.

 

In its first ever global campaign, Evian wanted to build on the concept of youth. Focusing on emotional benefits, Evian built its ‘Live Young’ campaign with an aim to strengthen existing brand relationships, drive awareness of Evian across the world in a fun and innovative way, and use digital as the core medium. The web focused campaign launched simultaneously in France, UK, Germany, Belgium, Canada, US, Russia and Japan by strategically seeding 'Roller Babies' into the social space. The efforts began with two teaser videos, 'Baby Moonwalk' and 'Baby Break Dance', being tactically released on heavy traffic sites and blogs two weeks before the official launch of the 'Roller Babies' video.

 

A remix contest launched on social networks in May 2009 and a shout out for amateur baby videos to be shared on YouTube in early June 2009 led to the global launch in July.

 

But viral success is not the same as sales success. After 'Roller Babies' was released in 2009, sales of the water brand actually declined. In the year the Evian “Roller Babies” video went viral, the brand lost market share and sales dropped 25%. The brand continued to lose market share in the UK in 2012. Though the Danone Group's water business is growing overall — it has many different brands and the company does not mention Evian specifically in financial or investor reports.