Bottled Water

The Story Behind

Remember the Left Shark from the Super Bowl a few years ago? He was supposed to be just a guy in a shark costume dancing next to Katy Perry during the halftime show. But because he decided to do his own thing, he became the center of attention. Every so often, another Left Shark will come along in the background of an event only to steal the show.

The most recent of these was the Fiji Water girl during the Golden Globes red carpet, who has been given the title 2019’s first meme after appearing to have photobombed many shots of the celebrities on the red carpet. Her real name is Kelleth Cuthbert, a Canadian model and influencer.

That brings us to today’s topic. As you’ll find out, this everyday object is less about necessity but more about clever marketing, even before Cuthbert generated $12 million worth of brand exposure the past week.

You’re listening to The Story Behind: The Extraordinary History of the Ordinary. I’m your host, Emily Prokop, and this is The Story Behind Bottled Water.

*Note: A previous version of this podcast episode mentioned "Sarasota Springs," instead of Saratoga Springs. Thank you to John for calling this to my attention.

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Media:

• Music for Makers
• Perrier Orson Welles 1979 - YouTube

Sources:

• The Fiji Water Girl's Identity Has Been Revealed And She Was An Influencer Before She Was A Meme - ELLE
• A Brief History of Bottled Water - Kitchn
• How Bottled Water Became America's Most Popular Beverage - Serious Eats
• History of Bottled Water - European Federation of Bottled Water
• John Snow's data journalism: the cholera map that changed the world - The Guardian
• Suckers for bottled water - The Guardian
• Why Americans Are Obsessed With Bottled Water - NPR
• PET bottles potential health hazard - ABC Science
• Fiji Water: Spin the Bottle - Mother Jones
• The story of FIJI Water – A green and fair product? - SinkingIslands.com