Until recently, I lived in blissful ignorance that anyone could sell a bottle of water for €300. Three hundred euros. It could be the rent for an apartment, a good bike or a plane ticket to an exotic destination. But no, we're talking about water. And no, it doesn't cure incurable diseases or grant you eternal life. It's simply water... in a very expensive bottle.
The responsible for this display of liquid opulence is a Japanese company called Fillico, which has decided to conquer the luxury market with a product as basic as water. s. Apparently, the water comes from a pristine spring in the Rokkou National Park in Kobe, Japan. A noble origin, no doubt, but does it justify the price?
Their website https://en.fillico.co.jp/about-us is a showcase of extravagance where the bottles, more like jewels than containers for hydration, sparkle with Swarovski crystal inlays and ostentatious designs.
Fillico's strategy is clear: artificial scarcity and marketing of desire. By limiting production to 5,000 bottles a month, they create a sense of exclusivity that feeds the cravings of the wealthiest consumers. It's not about drinking water, it's about belonging to an exclusive club, about displaying a status symbol. It's the experience, the "I have it and you don't," that really sells. Water, in this case, is a mere vehicle for ostentation.
And it works. There is a sector of the market, one that swims in abundance, willing to pay astronomical figures to possess something unique, even if it is as prosaic as a bottle of water. For them, price is not an impediment, but rather a further proof of their purchasing power. It is the perverse logic of extreme luxury, where value is measured in zeros and satisfaction is found in the possession of what is inaccessible to the majority.
Personally, I find it difficult to understand this type of consumption. It seems to me an absurd waste, a sign of the disconnection with the reality of a world where millions of people lack access to drinking water. While some pay fortunes for a bottle decorated with crystals, others struggle to survive with the bare minimum. The contrast is brutal and inevitably invites reflection.
Is it stupid to pay €300 for a bottle of water? Probably. But as a great philosopher said: "there are people for everything." And as long as there are those willing to pay that price, Fillico will continue to fill its coffers at the expense of vanity and the desire for exclusivity. In the meantime, I will continue to drink water from the tap, with the peace of mind of knowing that my hydration does not cost me a fortune and that my common sense remains intact.
Perhaps, deep down, the real stupidity lies not in the person who buys the bottle, but in a society that encourages this type of inequality. A world where access to a resource as basic as water becomes a luxury within the reach of only a few. That is the real question we should be asking ourselves. And that, without a doubt, is a much harder bottle to swallow.
And what do you think about this?
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