Perrier is a French brand of bottled carbonated mineral water from the spring des Boullens, known since 1903 as spring Perrier, in Vergéze.
It all started in 1863 with Napoleon III who obtained the rights to exploit the Vergéze spring. After this, Bouillens became one of the most important spas due to its thermal waters. Meanwhile, Alphonse Granier founded the Société de l'Etablissement Thermal des Eaux Minérale de Vergèze. Among the innovative services offered by the place were cold baths, mud, gas and coal inhalations, showers and sale of bottled water.
By 1869 the company faced a fire that destroyed all the facilities. Later new partners entered the business, such as Rouvuiere, who established a partnership with Dr. Louis Perrier. Louis was the one who took water to new limits thanks to his continuous discoveries and innovations. Perrier was the first to use the concept of mineral water for drinks and products designed for health, due to the therapeutic possibilities of thermal waters; He also improved the techniques for bottling water and it became so popular that it managed to be officially recognized as a national asset.
But really it was John Harmsworth's investment in 1903 that brought French water to England. Harmsworth's first step was change the name of the company from the "Vergèze Company" to "Source Perrier" in honor of his partner, Dr. Perrier, who made the water famous. And by 1905, the English monarchy designated him "the official purveyor of His Majesty Edward VII and King George VI."
The following year, the brand changed its name to La Compagnie de la Source Perrier and was awarded at the Anglo-French exhibition in London for its high sales.
The brand continued its upward growth and in 1914 increased its production to more than ten million bottles. In addition, by that year it was already the favorite brand of the British Empire officers residing in the English colonies of Delhi and Singapore.
Some time later, after the death of John Harmsworth, new French partners appeared. The Leven family bought the shares in Société Perrier: Georges and his son Gustave on one side, and Maurice Epry and Jean Davray on the other.
But it would be Davray who would mark a before and after for Perrier since after World War II, the company's partner and executive took over the reins of brand advertising, until his death in 1985.
The demand for the brand led to the construction of a new plant in 1950. With it, the figure of 131 million bottles produced was reached, and under the vision of the Leven family, new products were introduced, such as Pschitt soda, in 1954. .
Perrier has always been characterized by its unique green glass container. To counteract the trend of switching from glass to plastic intended for faster recycling and to keep its identity intact by using coal gas, the brand had no better choice than to start mass-producing its own glass in 1973.
For In 1976, the French brand established its own headquarters to import its product to the United States. Based in Greenwich, Connecticut, The Perrier Group of America was born.
The American Perrier began, like the mother company, with a single brand (Perrier) that, although it had international fame, had to face the North American market, one of the most seasoned. The following year, in 1977, Perrier's market share reached 6 percent of the market for carbonated mineral waters. This was demonstrated by the company's numbers, such as its growth in exports: from the figure of 3 million bottles registered in 1976, the brand went on to import 40 million in 1977 and reached the figure of 80 million in 1978.
The success of French sparkling water in the United States led to it being the number one sparkling water brand in the world. Growth brought new members to the Perrier family, such as the Perrier Spiced flavor.
By 1983, Perrier opened its own headquarters in the United Kingdom. The following year, the brand had new markets established, through the export of its products, in Germany, Australia, Canada, Japan and South Africa.
By 1992, the Nestlé Group, the multinational food company, made its appearance, which bought the entirety of the Perrier Vittel S.A. Group. In this way, the legendary French water brand Perrier gained a foothold in new world markets, such as the South-East Asian region. Currently, Perrier Vittel S.A. It reaches 140 countries on five continents.
The basic difference between Perrier and other mineral waters is that it is produced by a natural process. That is to say, it´s the consequence of a current of coal gas of volcanic origin, present in the Vergéze region, in addition Perrier is composed of: 460 mg/l of mineral traces and 7g/l of natural carbonization.
Another unique feature of Perrier is represented by its traditional green glass container: a small bottle that today is recognized by its unique silhouette. In relation to its packaging, it should be noted that the brand has also worked with exclusive agencies such as Topaz and Dragon Rouge to renew the design of its packaging.
Finally, Perrier has had many collaborations for its packaging, the most recent being with Takashi Murakami, a Japanese artist that we will learn more about in the following history.
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