Perrier

Perrier is a brand of bottled mineral water made from a spring in Vergèze in the Gard département of France. The spring is naturally carbonated. Both the water and natural carbonic gas are captured independently and in the bottling process, the carbonic gas is added so that the level of carbonation in bottled Perrier is the same as the water of the Vergèze spring.Perrier Group of Canada Inc. v. Canada [1995] F.C.J. No.1571http://www.nestle-watersna.com/pdf/PR_BWQR.pdf

Perrier is available in Europe in one liter, 75 cl, and 500 ml bottles, and in 33 cl cans. All Perrier bottles are green and have a distinctive 'teardrop' shape. It is one of the most common bottled waters in France. In August 2001, the company introduced a new bottling format using polyethylene terephthalate to offer Perrier in plastic, a change that took 11 years to decide which material would best help retain both the water's flavor and its purported "50 million bubbles."

Perrier comes in five flavors. Unflavored, lemon, and lime are the oldest flavors. In 2007, a new Citron Lemon-Lime flavor debuted. In France, another new flavor, Pamplemousse Rose (Pink Grapefruit), is gaining popularity as well.

Since 2002, new varieties of Perrier have been introduced in France, Eau de Perrier is less carbonated than the original, and comes in a blue bottle. Perrier Fluo comes in "trendy" flavors such as ginger-cherry, peppermint, orange-lychee, raspberry, and ginger-lemon.

Perrier and competitor San Pellegrino are owned by the Nestlé Corporation.

750 ml bottle of Perrier

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The spring in Southern France from which Perrier is drawn was called Les Bouillens. It has been used as a spa since Roman times. Local doctor Louis Perrier bought the spring in 1898 and operated a commercial spa there; he also bottled the water for sale. He later sold the spring to Sir Saint-John Harmsworth, a wealthy British visitor. Harmsworth was the younger brother of the newspaper magnates Lord Northcliffe and Lord Rothermere. He had come to France to learn the language. Dr. Perrier showed him the spring, and he decided to buy it. He sold his share of the family newspapers to raise the money. Harmsworth closed the spa, as spas were becoming unfashionable. He renamed the spring Source Perrier and started bottling the water in distinctive green bottles. The shape was that of the Indian clubs Harmsworth used for exercise."DISCOVER THE PERRIER STORY". Nestlé WatersTomlinson, Richard (2004-11-29). "TROUBLED WATERS AT PERRIER". Fortune

Harmsworth marketed the product in Britain at a time when Frenchness was seen as 'chic' and aspirational to the middle classes. It was advertised as the Champagne of mineral water (There is a genuine champagne by the name of Laurent Perrier but there is no connection). Advertising in newspapers like the Daily Mail established the brand. Some 95% of sales were in Britain and the U.S.

Perrier's reputation for purity suffered a blow in 1990 when a North Carolina lab found benzene in several bottles. Perrier shifted from explanation to explanation on the issue, finally stating that it was an isolated incident of a worker having made a mistake in the filtering procedure and that the spring itself was unpolluted. The incident ultimately led to the recall of 160 million bottles of Perrier.James, George (1990-02-10). "Perrier Recalls Its Water in U.S. After Benzene Is Found in Bottles". The New York Times (The New York Times Company)White, Michael; A Short Course in International Marketing Blunders: Mistakes Made by Companies that Should Have Known Better, 3rd Edition; World Trade Press 2009; chapter 1

From 1981 to 2005, the company sponsored an annual comedy award in the United Kingdom, the Perrier Comedy Award, also known as "The Perriers". In 2006 it was announced that Perrier would no longer sponsor the award, which was renamed if.comeddies, after its new sponsor, Intelligent Finance."Perrier ends Edinburgh comedy tie". BBC. 2006-06-14

In 2004, a crisis erupted when the Nestlé group, owner of Perrier, announced a restructuring plan for Perrier. In 2005, Perrier was ordered to halt restructuring, because of a failure to consult adequately with staff.Perrier Restructuring Halted

• Perrier was referenced in the "Weird Al" Yankovic song This Is the Life

• Perrier was the sponsor on Jean Girard's number 55 Chevy Monte Carlo in the movie Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.

• In the movie Spaceballs, President Skroob, played by Mel Brooks, is seen breathing air out of a can of "Perri-air."

• Perrier is mentioned in the song "Ping Pong" by Optimus Rhyme.

• James Bond smashes through a Perrier truck in a Russian T-55 battle tank in the 17th installment of the Bond franchise, Goldeneye (1995).