Click 'Read Original' for details Source: Lue Da Can Kao (ID: hyzibenlun) | Author: Qin Anna | Editor: Yuan Ye
Among the younger generation, sparkling water is seen as a drink that won't make you fat—just as those new consumer brands have crafted their image. Pop art pioneer Andy Warhol once said that Coca-Cola represents the American spirit of equality and freedom, where both the president and the poor drink the same Coke. But in the world of sparkling water, the brand you choose subtly signals which social circle you belong to. Before becoming an internet sensation, sparkling water was a chic accessory for the bourgeoisie sitting in Starbucks, posing for photos with an Italian espresso and a "little green bottle," exuding an air of sophistication. In Yi Shu's novels, beautiful but unaware women always drink Perrier. After becoming a viral hit, it turned into a playful game for Kuaishou users, who pour sparkling water into various molds, freeze it into ice shapes, and then bite into them on camera. Both are just water with carbon dioxide and sodium bicarbonate, so why do different groups project such different images? Today, we'll explore how sparkling water fell from an essential tool for elite business style to a viral internet sensation.
-01- European Aristocratic Style Not too long ago, drinking sparkling water was considered quite classy. In Michelin-starred restaurants in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen, during lunch hours when alcohol isn't served, a steak paired with a bottle of S.Pellegrino sparkling water—using its fine bubbles to cut through the richness—was a taste mastered by the well-educated elite. In the movie The Devil Wears Prada, Anne Hathaway's character, a novice assistant, pours a glass of S.Pellegrino for her boss every morning. It had to be S.Pellegrino, embodying a century-old European aristocratic aura—elegant and refined. Though lacking novelty, it exuded a meticulous old-world charm, giving off an Old Europe vibe. As the birthplace of sparkling water, European aristocrats long controlled the exclusive rights and standards for judging it. They created a standard called TDS (Total Dissolved Solids), where "higher values mean richer water, suitable for pairing with meat; lower values mean lighter, softer water, ideal for refreshing dishes or cocktails." So steak should be paired with S.Pellegrino or Ferrarelle—a hidden pairing never written on the menu. For a long time, sparkling water's primary role was as a table water in Michelin-starred restaurants. High-end diners always combine basic ingredients to create a sense of luxury. An espresso with a bottle of S.Pellegrino with its red star cap is Starbucks' "secret menu." The earliest adopters of sparkling water in China were the highly educated—money alone wasn't enough; they needed worldliness and a desire to display distinctive taste. Food connoisseur Chua Lam said, "The top choice for sparkling water is still Italy's S.Pellegrino; it gives guests instant satisfaction that other carbonated mineral waters can't match." In short, culture must back it up. When dining at a Michelin-starred restaurant, when the waiter asks if you'd like water or sparkling water, you need to know they're asking about still or sparkling. Early sparkling water brands entering the Chinese market targeted this self-identified tasteful group. In 2017, when Huang Xuan became S.Pellegrino's global ambassador, the brand's image remained old-world European. The ad was filmed at Milan Cathedral, with dining at a three-Michelin-star restaurant, and a waiter presenting a bottle and two glasses on a tray—the entire video brimming with refined, elegant Italian lifestyle. The atmosphere in the video was several levels above that of Ganten, which claims to be the "noble among waters"—its ad about Descartes and the Swedish princess's ambiguous romance left viewers puzzled about its connection to water. Although in today's multicultural society, touting "aristocratic status" is a traditional approach, century-old brands have cultivated brand recognition among their audiences. Classicism is always in vogue; while it may not break into the mainstream, it still holds sway among the elite. Creating an image of pleasure, refinement, and elegance is the marketing focus for old-school sparkling water brands.
-02- The Artistic Youth Vibe Though refreshing and thirst-quenching, sparkling water was long a luxury for aristocrats due to limited production and origin. For a long time, it couldn't reach the common folk. In the mid-18th century, a discovery by British scientist Joseph Priestley made it possible for sparkling water to enter the common class. Priestley found "unexpectedly effervescent water" at a brewery in Leeds, England, and believed the gas-infused drink could be used as medicine. This also explains why naturally carbonated mineral water is considered beneficial to health. In 1772, Priestley presented his findings to the Royal Society in London and published a book titled Impregnating Water with Fixed Air the same year. He also devised a more efficient method to produce this bubbly water by generating the gas through a chemical reaction in one bottle and then transferring it to another filled with water. He discovered a way to make artificial sparkling water, marking the starting point of carbonated beverages. The first brand to bring sparkling water from aristocratic exclusivity to the masses was Perrier. In the 1930s, Perrier collaborated with Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dalí to create an advertising artwork titled Perrier, which was publicly sold and received a warm market response. It was this exploration of the mass market that earned Perrier a place among the Italian sparkling water brands dominating Europe, gradually popularizing the consumption of sparkling water. Another significant contribution of Perrier was transforming sparkling water from a table water into a basic beverage. Using Perrier as a base, mixed with mint, basil, marjoram, and other herbs, one could create herbal-flavored cocktails. Combined with peaches, strawberries, plums, etc., it could make sweet-and-sour cocktails suitable for women. From then on, Perrier broke free from the category of table water, becoming a drink that could be enjoyed on its own without food. This transformation involved a marketing genius—Jane D'Alessis, Perrier's advertising and marketing director. D'Alessis set three labels for Perrier: "crazy, free, honest," which perfectly matched the post-war youth's philosophy. He created Perrier's most famous slogan: "Perrier, c'est fou!" translated into English as "Perrier, it's crazy." Yes, you're drinking craziness. With this breakthrough, sparkling water shed its utilitarian role as table water, began to appeal to youth, and moved into nightclubs and other young people's hangouts. D'Alessis also successfully pushed sparkling water into international markets. In 1983, D'Alessis went to New York and met art marketing guru Andy Warhol. D'Alessis said, "American youth don't like Perrier." Warhol replied, "They're not crazy enough." That same year, Warhol created 38 silkscreen prints themed around Perrier, crafting an image of intellect, artistry, and avant-garde for the brand. Perrier made a huge impact in the U.S. market, becoming a favorite among American artistic circles, including Woody Allen, "the only intellectual in American cinema." In 1990, Perrier was globally recalled due to quality issues. Without the product, Woody Allen exclaimed, "Without Perrier, how can we intellectuals survive?" This intellectual label strongly boosted Perrier's entry into the Hong Kong market. Around the same time as its U.S. entry, Perrier entered Hong Kong. Novelist Yi Shu, known for depicting urban women, wrote that her independent, tidy female characters who enjoy cucumber sandwiches always drink Perrier (transliterated as 沛绿雅). Yi Shu even wrote that mixing Perrier with lychee could taste like champagne. Generations change, and now it's Gen Z that consumer brands court, but what hasn't changed is Perrier's constant appeal to youth. Its latest global ambassador, Zhang Yixing, presents a versatile image in the ad MV, featuring elements like DJing, electronic music, and cats that young people love. The ad shows young people reveling freely—music, parties, freedom—all elements of Gen Z.
-03- Pragmatic Style There's a hierarchy in sparkling water. Glass bottles look down on cans, and cans look down on plastic bottles. On a scorching summer day with outdoor temperatures above 30°C, a case of sparkling water in a car trunk can reach nearly 50°C—hot enough to brew tea. In such cases, the material matters. Glass bottles are fine and healthy, but with plastic bottles, PET is okay, but BP material in extreme heat will release toxic substances, which is bad for health. However, in China, most sparkling water drinkers choose plastic bottles—economical and with fewer bubbles. Or rather, domestic sparkling water brands basically use plastic bottles, considering that plastic bottles reduce the strong fizz of glass bottles. This is also an adjustment based on local dietary habits. Chinese people aren't used to traditional sparkling water; the strong, intense bubbles hit the throat directly, and the Chinese stomach, accustomed to warm, soft water, doesn't adapt well to harsh sparkling water. For a long time, sparkling water sales in China were poor. From 2010 to 2012, sales volume in the Chinese market hovered around 100,000 liters. In the same period, European and American markets had reached nearly 500 million gallons. Europeans and Americans drink sparkling water with all three meals. In China, only those who emphasize lifestyle, or even those educated in European and American dining, would like or accept the taste of sparkling water. To make sparkling water more suitable for Chinese palates, brands borrowed an old trick from wine promotion—adding sugar. Sweetness adds layers of flavor and reduces the irritation of fine bubbles on the mouth. After solving the taste issue, domestic sparkling water gradually opened up the domestic market. In recent years, sparkling water has become a rapidly growing viral product, with a compound annual growth rate of 20% since 2012. Data from Kantar's consumer household panel shows that in 2019, sparkling water consumption in China grew 43.9% year-on-year, far exceeding the 5% growth rate of ordinary mineral water. Today, sparkling water in China is a business with annual sales exceeding 10 billion yuan. Various food companies have entered the production of sparkling water: Nongfu Spring launched TOT, Yili has Yiran sparkling water, and the highest market share belongs to new consumer brand Genki Forest. Zhang Yuqi, who became a brand friend of Genki Forest, appears in elevator ads, playfully saying, "Delicious Genki Forest sparkling water, arranged for everyone." Another ad features several young idols repeatedly emphasizing 0 sugar, 0 calories, 0 fat while holding Genki Forest. The promotional secret of new domestic sparkling water brands is to lock onto the feature that sparkling water doesn't add extra burden to the body, aiming to capture the younger generation's health-conscious consumption habits. The brand Yiran, mainly promoted on Xiaohongshu, repeatedly emphasizes "summer essential" and "zero-calorie sugar and fat." In collaborations with Douyin, Genki Forest often works with nutritionists to repeatedly explain that the erythritol used by Genki Forest is a sugar alcohol not absorbed by the body; it adds sweetness without extra energy. Their target customers are young women focused on body management. China's rising sparkling water brands don't imitate the traditional aristocratic image of European brands, nor do they add cultural attributes for new groups. They simply position it as a drink that won't make you fat, maximizing practicality. Their communication methods emphasize visual appeal: short-video bloggers typically pair it with fruits like peaches, lychees, and limes to make delicious, sugar-free summer drinks. The product's practical value is conveyed directly in a simple, plain manner. Kuaishou, known for its quirky style, interprets sparkling water unconventionally, creatively constructing it into "sparkling ice" forms. They freeze sparkling water into ice shapes like little angels and electric guitars, then crunch and eat them piece by piece on camera. Typically, different groups have different taste perceptions; many find sparkling water unpleasant, some say it tastes like chlorine from tap water, others say it has a mineral taste. But perceptions of image are shared: sparkling water brands sell an image. Century-old brands stick to aristocratic, elite qualities, while new rising brands emphasize a healthy, fresh, youthful image. Social commentator Mary Gay Humphreys summarized sparkling water in Harper's Weekly: "Champagne is the drink of the rich, beer always means poverty, and only sparkling water is a drink for both rich and poor." In China, this isn't the case. Sparkling water has formed different audiences based on brand positioning. It's almost the product where consumers find it hardest to reach a unified perception. Each class sticks to its own image and chooses corresponding brands. Nestlé, the owner of S.Pellegrino and Perrier, has always promoted sparkling water by associating it with middle-class lifestyle and aesthetic tastes. Thus, Perrier often collaborates with music, art, fashion, and tech events, while S.Pellegrino, positioned as table water, sponsors the Michelin Guide Shanghai. In the Chinese market, Nestlé has never been determined to let sparkling water sink from first- and second-tier cities. In European and American markets, economical plastic-bottled sparkling water hasn't been widely adopted in China; it still mainly uses high-end glass bottles. Now it seems Nestlé's conservatism gave new consumer brands a chance to rise. Among the younger generation, sparkling water is seen as a drink that won't make you fat—just as those new consumer brands have crafted their image. China's vast market isn't just about the middle class. New consumer brands have seized the new consumption trends arising from generational shifts, and their rise is inevitable. This is the consumption characteristic of complex China.