Evian Country France Source Évian-les-Bains Type still pH 7.18 Calcium (Ca) 78 Chloride (Cl−) 2.2 Bicarbonate (HCO3) 357 Magnesium (Mg) 24 Nitrate (NO3) 3.8 Potassium (K) 0.75 Sodium (Na) 5 Sulfates (SO) 10 TDS milligrams per liter (mg/l) Website: http://www.evian.com

Evian is a French brand of mineral water coming from several sources near Évian-les-Bains, on the south shore of Lake Geneva.

Today, Evian is owned by Danone Group, a French multinational company. Evian first entered the U.S. market in 1978 where it was served in high-end restaurants, lounges, and hotels in New York City and throughout Hollywood. In addition to mineral water, Danone Group uses the Evian name for a line of organic skin care products as well as a luxury resort in France.

In popular culture, Evian is portrayed as a high-end and pricey bottled water, making it popular among Hollywood celebrities.^[1] David LaChapelle photographed an Evian campaign juxtaposing a supermodel next to an Evian fountain formed from a Greek statue, film actor Sebastian Siegel painted to look like stone by Joanne Gair. In addition, high fashion designer Jean Paul Gautier has produced a Limited Edition bottle for 2009.

Contents 1 History 2 Environmental record 3 References 4 External links

[edit] History

• 1789: During a walk, the Marquis of Lessert drank water from the Sainte Catherine spring on the land of a Mr Cachat. The marquis, who was allegedly suffering from kidney and liver problems, drank regularly of the water while he walked, and claimed that his health improved. Encouraged by Lessert's advocacy of the 'miraculous' water, local doctors began to prescribe it as a health remedy. In response to the growing success of the water, Mr Cachat fenced off his spring and began selling the water.

• 1824: The first baths appeared. The name of the spring was changed from Sainte Catherine to the Cachat Source.

• 1826: The Duke of Savoy gave his permission to start bottling water from the spring.

• 1829: The first Société des Eaux Minérales (Mineral Water company) was founded.

• 1859: The business became a public company as the "Société anonyme des eaux minérales de Cachat".

• 1860: The business became French when Savoy was incorporated into France under the Treaty of Turin.

• 1878: The French Ministry of Health reauthorized the bottling of Cachat water on the recommendation of the Medicine academy.

• 1908: Evian water began to be sold in glass bottles manufactured by the glass factory Souchon-Neuvesel which today is a part of Owens-Illinois.

• 1969: The first PVC bottle was launched.

• 1970: The BSN Group, which eventually became the Danone Group, took 100% control of Evian brand.

• 1995: Evian switched to collapsible PET bottles.

• 2001: Launch of the Evian organic cosmetics branch.

• 2009: Launches commercial: "Evian Roller Babies".

[edit] Environmental record

Bottled water sales in the UK went down by 9 percent in the first few months of 2008, after having risen at more than 6 percent annually for 10 years. This could be due to the fact that there has been an environmental backlash on bottled water that claims it is “immoral and wasteful.”^[2] In April 2008, Evian created the Evian Water Protection Institute to work on three water and wetlands management projects with the Ramsar Convention. The three areas where the projects will take place are: Thailand’s Bung Khong, the La Plata Basin in Argentina, and the Jagadishpur Reservoir in Nepal.^[3] Evian has also taken the initiative to cut their own energy and water use by incorporating post-consumer recycled PET plastic into the bottle sizes that receive the most sales.^[4] The company has joined with RecycleBank in an effort to get consumers to recycle. Recyclebank is an award-based company that gives participating households redeemable points according to the amount of materials they recycle.^[5]

[edit] References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Evian

[edit] External links

• Evian

v • d • e Groupe Danone Co. Corporate Directors: Bruno Bonnell · Richard Goblet d'Alviella · Michel David-Weill · Emmanuel Faber · Jean Laurent · Hirokatsu Hirano · Bernard Hours · Christian Lauble · Hakan Mogren · Jacques Nahmlas · Benoît Potier · Franck Riboud · Jacques Vincent Products: Actimel (DanActive in US) · Activia · Evian · Lattella · Numico · Volvic Annual Revenue: $18.6 billion USD (▲12% FY 2004) · Employees: 89,449 · Stock Symbol: Euronext: BN NYSE: DA · Website: www.danonegroup.com