In the late 1980s, the French brand Evian recognised the growing, wider health and fitness trend and exploited it to the full by marketing their bottled water the ultimate health and wellness product.
Interesting how water was first marketed as a luxury item
Given that water is such a fundamental resource and a matter of life and death, and given that it is such an abundant commodity to many and so scarce to others,
Water is something that humans cannot live without, but at the same time something that humans can get for nearly free. Putting a price tag on water effectively capitalizes on humans' need to live.
That's the only thing that can explain why you would pay money for a bottle of something that you can otherwise get for free."
I've never thought about it like that. Paying for something that should be free can symbolize freedom in a roundabout way.