Does Evian’s New Campaign Go Too Far?

I’ll admit it, I’m already pretty biased against all bottled water companies. Anyone that takes a product that flows freely in most cities, puts in a plastic bottle, ships it thousands of miles and sells it for money is crossing quite a few environmental lines. But calling anything about that process “natural” is even more offensive. This is what Evian touts in its latest campaign.
“This water is untouched by man until it reaches your lips,” boasts the website, billboard and ads.

Yes, Evian, I’m sure your water flows freely from the French Alps and into little plastic bottles that just happen to form naturally near the spring. Then little birds fly it across the sea from France into restaurants and bars around the world, which is part of their natural migration pattern. Or perhaps fish swim it through the oceans. Moving all those tons of plastic and water is just “a gift of nature.”
In fairness, I’ll throw them a bone. According to their site (beware of creepy dancing babies), Evian was the first company to switch from PVC to PET to make their bottles. It’s a start, but it doesn’t mean I’ll be letting my lips touch any bottled water anytime soon, manhandled or not.