Water is one of the oldest stories on our planet. It is older than cities, older than civilisation. And it is by no means something to be taken for granted, but a value we must protect. This year’s World Water Day focused on the connection between water and gender equality. Its main idea was that access to water is not only a technical or environmental issue, but also a social one that fundamentally affects the position of women and girls in society. In many parts of the world, women bear the primary responsibility for securing water for the household, and improving access to water can therefore make a significant contribution to greater equality. Water thus becomes not only a basic necessity of life, but also a tool of social change and the empowerment of women.
Water and TV advertising
Water is one of the most common and at the same time most universal motifs in television advertising. Its advantage lies in the fact that everyone intuitively understands it and associates it with specific values—above all, purity, freshness, and life. That is precisely why brands use it across a wide range of categories, from beverages and cosmetics to household products. In advertisements for bottled water, it is naturally the main product. Most people are probably familiar with the famous 2001 commercial for Toma Natura water, which featured Modlitba za vodu (Prayer for Water) by Jiří Pavlica (Hradišťan).
Video: Toma Natura
Among the mineral water brands familiar to most Czechs, Magnesia, Rajec, and Mattoni frequently appear on television. A common denominator of their campaigns is the theme of freshness, nature, and movement. They typically combine an emotional story with the visual beauty of water.
Mattoni, which celebrated its 150th anniversary in 2023, became famous for its now legendary slogan, “Mattoni is gone.” The commercial featuring the almost nude top model Hana Soukupová, dressed only in the iconic water dress, was groundbreaking in many respects—not only for the Mattoni brand itself but also for the Czech advertising market as a whole.
Video: Mattoni is gone
A flowing dress also features in the striking commercial “Nature in You.” This time, top model Linda Vojtová wears it, while the Tatra 87 is driven by Alessandro Pasquale, CEO of Karlovarské minerální vody, in person. The image of the model standing face to face with a lion is meant to evoke the satisfaction that comes from drawing strength from nature. In 2023, the company once again revived the slogan “Mattoni is gone.” Accompanied by the iconic music composed by Karel Svoboda for the TV series Návštěvníci, the spot highlighted the need for “mattonisation”—that is, replenishing minerals—even in the distant future.
The commercials for Rajec, a brand in Kofola’s portfolio, on the other hand, take viewers on an excursion into the living nature of the Rajec Valley. Its “Patented by Nature” campaign became firmly etched in consumers’ memories. The concept “Movement. Patented by Nature” then brought this water into the natural environment of contemporary human life—the city:
Video: Rajec – Movement. Patented by nature
Foreign brands, in turn, often build their communication around emotions and lifestyle. As with Czech brands, this usually involves a unified concept. For example, as part of its “Live Young” campaign, Evian presents water in a beautifully playful way as a symbol of youthfulness. Its commercials often go viral. A typical example is the commercial “Evian Baby & Me” from the Evian Babies series, which became a huge hit on YouTube. In just ten weeks, it reached 100 million views, while the brand also recorded an increase in market share in its key markets (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and Germany).
Video: Evian – Baby & Me
The success of the advert rests on humour, catchy music, and visual effects. The brand achieved an incredible level of audience engagement. People did not merely watch the content—they embraced it and transformed it. The result was more than 300 user-created versions of the video. The commercial also won the hearts of industry professionals, who awarded it several prizes at the 2013 Cannes Lions Festival.
Perrier’s advertising strategy, by contrast, has long been built on distinctive creativity and style, and is characterised by an effort to differentiate itself from the conventional communication of mineral water brands. Perrier does not primarily emphasise health or functional benefits; instead, it presents water as an iconic, stylish, and almost “luxury” product. A typical feature of its communication is playful, sometimes even surreal visual storytelling, often drawing inspiration from art, pop culture, or film aesthetics. Perrier commercials tend to be exaggerated, bold, and memorable—the aim is to evoke emotion and capture attention, not to explain. A fine example is the campaign titled “Melting. The Drop,” created for Perrier in 2014 by Ogilvy. In the context of the climate crisis, it follows the fate of an astronaut, portrayed by Amy Bailey, who takes part in a mission to save the world from a deadly heatwave.
Video: Perrier – Melting. The Drop
Water as the central motif
In bottled water advertising, water is naturally the main product, but its presence is equally striking in cases where it functions more as a symbol than as the actual content. Creatives work with water in highly varied ways—sometimes depicting it as a crystal-clear spring, at other times as a dynamic current or a refreshing shower. Each of these forms carries a different meaning and helps build a specific emotion. Flowing water can evoke energy and movement, while a calm surface suggests harmony and balance. This allows water to adapt easily to different types of messages and target audiences.
The visual dimension also plays a major role. Water droplets, slow-motion shots, or light reflecting off the surface have a strong aesthetic effect and draw the viewer’s attention. Combined with sound—for example, the murmur of water or the sound of dripping—they create a powerful sensory experience that audiences can easily remember.
At the same time, water in advertising also reflects broader social themes. In recent years, campaigns have increasingly highlighted sustainability, the conservation of water resources, and a responsible approach to nature. Water thus ceases to be merely an aesthetic element and becomes a carrier of values that are growing ever more important for modern brands.
Radegast has built on this theme, declaring in its campaign that it will return water to where it belongs. The commercial Every Drop Matters is both emotional and highly evocative.
Video: Radegast – Every drop matters
In Radegast’s case, however, it was not merely a matter of using a topical issue to attract the audience’s attention. The brewery has been pursuing the fight for water with real determination and a strong sense of responsibility.
Water also played a central role in Guinness’s outstanding commercial “Surfer,” which regularly appears in rankings of the greatest advertisements of all time and has won several awards, including a prize at the Cannes Lions Festival. In 2000, it was named the greatest commercial of all time. The ad shows a surfer waiting for the perfect wave. The sea gradually transforms into a dramatic, almost mythological force—the waves resemble white horses rolling toward the shore. Accompanied by dramatic music, water here functions as a symbol of strength, tension, and patience.
Video: Guinness – Surfer
Also well worth mentioning is Honda’s global campaign “The Impossible Dream,” created by Wieden + Kennedy. The commercial follows a person’s journey through a variety of environments, from the road all the way to the ocean. The transition onto the water’s surface symbolises the crossing of boundaries, technological innovation, and the human desire to keep moving forward. The final image of a balloon floating above spectacular waterfalls serves as a beautiful metaphor for freedom.
A striking symbol and visual feature in advertising creative
Water is among the most universal and striking elements in television advertising. Thanks to its natural symbolism, it can instantly evoke purity, freshness, energy, and calm. It does not function merely as a backdrop, but as a carrier of emotion and meaning. At times, it conveys strength and dynamism, at others, harmony and balance. In modern advertising, water is also increasingly employed as an aesthetic element—slow-motion shots of droplets, waves, or flowing water can create a powerful sensory experience.
Moreover, water in advertising reflects broader social themes, such as sustainability and the protection of natural resources, making it possible to combine aesthetics, emotion, and meaning within a single advertising message.