It’s hard to become a $1.4 billion water brand, and it’s even harder to do it in seven years (as of this writing), but that’s just what Liquid Death co-founder Mike Cessario has done.
Launched in 2017 by Mike Cessario, Liquid Death is a water company focused on “murdering thirst” and destroying plastic water bottles. And, of course, making drinking water “cool as hell”. He originally had the idea when he was at the Vans Warped Tour (gone, but not forgotten – RIP) in 2009. His friends were playing with their bands, and because a well-known beverage company sponsored the tour, they had plenty of energy drinks backstage. The performers were contractually obligated to be seen with the drinks but due to the heat and other consequences of drinking too many energy drinks, band members were pouring out the energy drinks and filling their cans with water.
That got him thinking. There’s nothing out there that’s healthy that has funny and cool branding, let alone irreverent. As a marketing professional, Mike already knew if he was going to break into this market, he needed to make it unique. He needed to stand out against a several billion-dollar industry. And that’s where Liquid Death shines. Sure, they’ve got sparkling water, flavored water, and even Death Dust, an electrolyte drink mix that you can pour right into your can. But they don’t focus their marketing efforts on the science of their water. They don’t tout where it comes from – in fact, they don’t really talk about it at all. Their success is all in their controversial and definitely unconventional branding – and they’re pretty unapologetic about it.
Many of their flavors are puns on something related to death or at the very least, something most would consider irreverent, politically incorrect, or outright offensive. For example, they were threatened with a lawsuit for their “Armless Palmer” drink resulting in a rebrand to an equally antagonistic title. Their merch leans into this strategy as well, and they’re not afraid to push the limit on what types of promo they offer.
They’ve even capitalized on partnerships with some really big names. For example, they created co-branded tour merch with Metallica, one of history’s most influential bands worldwide. Another collab with NASCAR, one of the world’s top motorsports organizations, resulted in their Liquid Death Thirst Hearse campaign. They’ve also created a watch line with Nixon, a limited-edition snowboard with Burton, plus other highly publicized apparel and celebrity campaigns. My favorite, though, is the e.l.f. Cosmetics x Liquid Death Corpse Paint makeup set!
And for those who aren’t just here for the jokes but also care about the brand’s CSR (corporate social responsibility) efforts, Liquid Death also uses its merchandise to give back! Liquid Death is committed to sustainability, and not only do they exhibit this with their packaging and #DeathtoPlastic branding, but they also donate proceeds from select merchandise to their non-profit partners, 5 Gyres and Thirst Project.
Liquid Death’s success story offers us, as promo professionals, a very valuable lesson. Their unconventional approach, combined with high-quality products and CSR efforts, allowed their brand to stand out in a very crowded market and simultaneously gain a cult-like following.
You can use similar innovative, out-of-the-box, and bold strategies (maybe not death-related, though) to create promotional campaigns for your clients that are conversation starters, ensuring their brand remains memorable and impactful. Which is exactly how we know promotional products work!
Looking for more real-world examples of large-scale promotional campaigns? Check out our other marketing inspiration blogs here!
