Perrier Creates Effervescent YouTube Campaign

In an appeal to chic consumers in North America and Europe, French sparkling water brand Perrier has launched, “Le Club Perrier,” on its YouTube channel.

And while it’s not immediately clear if they were all upscale viewers, somebody’s watching: In its first week, the “Le Club Perrier” video netted nearly 1 million views. As of Monday morning that number had climbed to 2.3 million.

The video is segmented into six versions that are unlocked as more people view it. Or, as Perrier puts it, “The more viewers of the online video, the hotter the party becomes.”

To demonstrate progress, Perrier says the channel features a thermometer indicating how high the temperature escalates and how many videos have been unlocked.

Perrier brand manager Michele Vieira notes there are six versions of the same theme – a girl walks into a nightclub and comes across interesting people and “mini dramas.”

According to Perrier, the scenes get more interesting as video versions are unlocked, more people appear in the club, the temperature rises and “the whole club starts to melt.”

While Vieira says “the party really gets going in version three,” Perrier did not release what milestones will unlock further video content.

However, a Perrier rep notes, “Viewers can unlock the next video immediately for their own viewing simply by sharing the campaign via the email, Facebook and Twitter buttons directly below the video screen. Here they can also download the Babe Youth song that plays in the background of each video.”

The campaign will run in the U.S., France, Belgium and Canada through the end of the summer. Vieira says she anticipates it will run through the beginning of July, but the timeframe depends on the number of views.

“We hit the 100,000 mark before midnight [on the first day], so it could be over quickly,” she notes.

The objective for the U.S. “is to continue to evolve the U.S. consumer’s perception of Perrier into one that is more in line with global perception – fun, daring, unique and modern.”

Perrier is a brand that seeks out well-to-do 25- to 40-year-olds who “enjoy socializing and really like to have a good time,” Vieira said.

The YouTube videos are digital extensions of a TV campaign that started airing earlier this month. A 25-second spot drives consumers to YouTube.

“The integrated experience carries over to the cocktail napkins used in cafes and bars, which will invite consumers to call a phone number where an automated voice encourages them to receive information via text about the promotion,” said Vieira.

Perrier says it earned 2,000 Facebook fans in two days and “le Club Perrier” was the #1 tweeted French video in the world on Wednesday. As of Thursday, Perrier had nearly 41,000 Facebook fans.

A sweepstakes is also integrated as part of the “Le Club Perrier” promotion, offering participants the chance to win a trip to New York. The winner will also get VIP access and treatment to the “Le Club Perrier” party in September at a NYC nightclub.