"Live Young" with the Mountain of Youth, by BETC Paris for evian.
evian is back with the "Mountain of Youth", an adventure where an explorer discovers a new kind of fountain of youth with mischievous Evianers in the heart of the Alps.
We talked to David Martin Angelus - Creative Director - Aurélie Scalabre - Creative Director - and Olivier Mille - Associate Creative Director - at BETC.
- What was the brief?
David Martin Angelus: The brief was to breathe new life into the “Live Young’ tagline with a new platform that has legs and is as creative and fun as the s baby saga that made Evian so famous in the first place.
- After the babies, we are finally going back to the roots of Evian: the fountain of youth. How did you come up with the creative concept?
David: Evian’s three peaks are extremely iconic. That’s where Evian’s mountain-made mineral water is sourced through 15 years of natural filtration through Alpine glacial rocks. Water that as our tagline says helps you “Live young”. So we twisted the universal magic water myth of the fountain of youth and turned it into the Mountain of Youth. That’s what sparked the idea of creating a whole world up there. We imagined that the inhabitants of the Mountain of Youth are a group of mountain fairy-like people who are the guardians of the water. And since they always drink Evian they are bit more youthful, fun, light-hearted than us. They are cheeky and young in mind and spirit which is what brings whimsy to our world.
- Craft has always played an important role for the brand. How did this focus on craftsmanship shape the campaign?
Aurélie Scalabre & Olivier Mille: We worked hand in hand with Henry¹ to come up with a universe that was a little magical but still anchored in the reality of the mountains. We wanted to feel the freshness of the mountains while playing with a slightly surreal image.
We talked a lot about who these “people” who live up in the mountains were. The way to dress them so they would feel like a ‘tribe’ of some sort, how they behaved, they had to be fun, lively, agile, and most importantly they had to have a cheeky young spirit that is almost childish without being ridiculous.
- Do you have a behind-the-scenes story to share?
Aurélie & Olivier: We shot in the studio with a green screen background, so everything was post-produced in 3D.
However, the natural pool in the scene with the bathers was a real pool constructed as a set. But when it was filled with hot water it quickly turned into a murky color because pieces of the decoration broke off and floated to the surface.
During each take, technicians with nets moved between the actresses to remove particles of scenery. It was kind of funny and weird at the same time.
- How will the Evianers evolve? How will the campaign expand?
Aurélie & Olivier : Who knows how they will evolve and what they will do. They are so cheeky and unpredictable and as you noticed they are not easy to spot when they decide to hide! But I’m sure they hold lots of secrets that we will uncover with time.
¹: Henry Scholfield is the the director