Babies On Skates | Evian Roller Babies Go Old Skool

’cause these are The Breaks…

Photo: http://www.flickr.com/photos/robinparker/

I’m all for commercials, but only if the advertiser takes the extra effort to make them entertaining. Most commercials show that advertisers don’t have the desire or skill to bother (or the time). Yet even after seeing a fantastic commercial once, it’s rare that I won’t go for the fast forward button on my DVR when it pops up again. I don’t need extra motivation to consume; fast cash and cash loans

But what about babies on skates?

OK, maybe I’d give that a second or third look, partly due to the unbearable cuteness. I half expect the baby version of Turbo from “Breakin’” and the all-powerful sequel “Breakin’ 2: Electric Boogaloo” to slide into the frame and start lockin’ and poppin’ on his brand new pair of roller skates.

Who has the brand new key?

Apparently Evian does, because these television ads have been ridiculously popular. Hannah Wood blogs London’s The Daily Mirror that the Evian Roller Babies are not an entirely new phenomenon. Sure, they’re in skates this time, but the reality is that this is part two of an ongoing advertising campaign that dates back to 1998. Talk about long-term branding efforts. Let’s try not to wait 11 years for the next ad, Evian…

Try “skater’s delight”

I’m sure you’ll be able to pick out what makes this latest commercial in the Evian babies series yourself once you see it – unless you’re anti-baby, that is. If you are, I can’t say I’d want to know you. Now the little ones are spreading the flavor with moves on wheels, scored to old skool grooves. To be specific, the 96 total babies in the commercial are dancing to a “Rapper’s Delight” remix. The song was originally made famous by Dan the Automator, whose later production credits included albums by Gorillaz, Kasabian and DJ Shadow.

And how did Evian train those babies?

There’s no amazing trick to it, but you probably already knew that. An ad agency called BETC Euro RSCG used computerized special effects to animate the Evian babies in a way that makes you smile and wonder if it’s not too late to join Kelly, Ozone and Turbo and save the community rec center. I hear Ice-T is going to make an appearance…

Live young, spend less

Evian brand manager Michael Aidan told Wood that consumers “expect more from a big brand – emotion, dream. This is what we want to achieve, hence this breakaway and back to roots campaign.” The concept in Evian’s campaign is “Live Young,” and the obvious product connection – as Evian sees it – is that their water will rejuvenate the body, making you feel like a kid again. I’ll stick with water that doesn’t require that I take out fast cash and cash loans to finance in the long term. Babies only need mother’s milk, anyway.

Without further ado…

Here’s the international version of the commercial:

And the one that started it all:

And at evianliveyoung.com, a tributes to Michael Jackson: