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Trademark toddlers: How dancing babies brought virality to Evian

By Mel Peck

April 25, 2013 | 5 min read

Mel Peck from the Viral Ad Network picks out the best bits from The Drum's Viral Video Chart and explains why it makes sense for brands to develop their own advertising 'trademarks'.

Dancing babies top the viral chart this week with nearly 30 million views. One guess who the brand is… yes of course, it’s Evian. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a new viral campaign from the French-owned mineral water company - in fact not since the release of Baby Inside back in 2011, which featured adults’ t-shirts printed with a headless baby’s body dancing on the front and back. But this week the brand is back with more of its trademark dancing toddlers.

“Baby & Me”, created by BETC Paris, is the latest installment in Evian’s “Live Young” campaign, following on from the success of “Waterbabies” and the viral smash hit “Rollerbabies”, which became the most shared ad in 2009.

Spotting a bit of a theme? Babies have certainly become synonymous with Evian’s marketing strategy, and this latest video continues the trend, featuring a group of adults dancing with miniature versions of their younger selves in the side of a mirrored building to a catchy remix of “Here Comes the Hotstepper”.

It’s always interesting to see brands developing trademark styles across their marketing; we’ve witnessed it a lot over the past few years from the likes of Old Spice and TNT. It can be a great way for agencies to build a style that makes their ads instantly recognisable and develop a fanbase of viewers looking for the next installment in a campaign.

According to BETC’s creative director, babies have been an essential part of Evian’s marketing from as far back as 1935 when doctors recommended it for young children because of its low PH content. But the brand has managed to turn its cultural history into a clever advertising strategy, using babies as a symbol for the vision of youth and vitality represented by Evian. Plus, in terms of sharing cues cute dancing babies are always going to be a viral winner (although personally I find them a bit creepy).

In addition to its TV and online ads, BETC has also developed a free “Baby & Me” app for Facebook, Android, and iPhone that uses advanced facial recognition software to reveal the user’s baby face.

Entering the chart at number five is the next installment in LG’s ‘So Real It’s Scary’ campaign, clocking up over 2.5 million views and nearly 20 thousand shares. The video follows on from the brand’s previous ad, terrorizing lift passengers with a fake collapsing floor, but this time it’s some HD monitors giving men stage fright in public bathrooms.

Also trending this week: Durex launches ‘Fundawear’, a new range of lingerie with built in sensors designed to send stimulating pulses of electricity controlled via a mobile phone; and some naughty garden gnomes are determined to sabotage a couples attempt to improve their garden in the latest ad for IKEA.Over to the UGC Chart and top of the list this week with over 6.5 million views is another clip from US talk show Jimmy Kimmel Live. This time the spotlight is on Harrison Ford, who is definitely NOT going to talk about Star Wars.

We’ve seen a couple of awesome videos from the Canadian Space Agency recently and this week the channel has published another fascinating zero gravity experiment. Now you can learn about what happens when you try and have a wash in space.

Also trending: Aatma Studio plays dominoes with 10,000 iPhones; Jacks Gap is back with more vlogging shenanigans and Sho Ko releases an interesting workout video showing you how to exercise with your cat.For all of the chart news and the full rundown of top videos on the internet this week, check out The Drum Viral Video Chart, powered by VAN, or follow @JoinVan to stay up to date with the latest industry news and YouTube gossip.

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