Liquid Death’s Philosophy

The company’s manifesto page is also very on brand with its non-marketing marketing strategy. It reads, “We’re just a funny beverage company who hates corporate marketing as much as you do. Our evil mission is to make people laugh and get more of them to drink more water more often, all while helping to kill plastic pollution.” Very similar to Oatly, the brand isn’t selling the product but the “vibe” of being disruptive and turning an otherwise normal product into an accessory.

Content-Market Fit

Have you heard of Seth Godin’s purple cow philosophy? if you see a normal cow every day it’s no big deal - but if you saw a purple cow you would immediately be drawn to it. Why is it purple? It’s just different enough to spark curiosity and that is the secret sauce to successful viral marketing. Liquid Death created had a content-market fit approach to their brand and marketing strategy instead of a product-market lens. That is also why they have more followers than any other water brands - not only they are starkly different visually, but they are also selling a “hardcore” lifestyle usually not associated with water and essentially rebranding water as a cool drink. This let them do collaborations that had nothing to do with water but everything to do with content like the luxury candle with Martha Stewart!

Brand > Commodity

“Liquid Death’s moat is brand - not just water - what other competitor will add murder to their cans? Not Coca Cola nor Pepsi!” says Andrea Hernández, founder of the Snaxshot, a bible for all things snacks, drinks, CPG and DTC. The company opened multiple revenue streams under the brand umbrella instead of selling just one product - in fact, their merchandise generated $3M in sales in 2021!

How They Thirst-Trapped The Market

• Playing to their audience: The best part about Liquid Death is it’s sort of the world’s greatest brand inside joke, they joke with fans and haters alike which makes them authentic and relatable without needing to chase viral trends - also how they struck a cord with Gen Z in a market of pastel/minimal looking water brands. They don’t prioritize paid paths to engagement and instead rely on playful, engaging content with the goal to “win the day” and be the best thing someone sees on their social feed.
• Brand personality: They don’t need to explain their product, it’s water, so the selling point had to be the brand personality - rebellious, bold, and humorous. The slogan “Murder Your Thirst” was unlike anything seen from a water brand and it instantly fortified the brand’s tone + persona. The visual identity of being rock metal also matched this and instantly differentiated them on the shelves next to minimal plastic water bottle brands - it made you feel good about holding the can almost like it wasn’t water!
• Web3: Did you know Liquid Death also has NFTs? The Murder Head Death Club has minted 6,666 generative severed head NFTs including hand-drawn ones by Adult Swim artist Will Carsola. Each head is an exact replica of a thirst that has been savagely murdered by Liquid Death. Owners of these NFTs for access to limited edition merchandise, special discounts, and other exclusive benefits that fall under the Liquid Death brand.
• Selling a lifestyle: Using the power of story, Liquid Death ultimately morphed social first, entertaining content into a powerful cult brand. Their first ad on YouTube has 5 million views! By sponsoring punk and metal tours, creating a series of ‘born to be viral’ stunts, selling a limited range of skateboard decks painted using real blood from skate legend Tony Hawk - the brand was selling a lifestyle similar to RedBull but with water which was genius because everyone drinks water!
• Fan programs: Liquid Death Country Club, a membership program that allows paying patrons early access to merch drops and live events. It’s currently estimated to have around 225,000 members. The consumers are spending their money on the brand instead of the product. The content appealed to their audience and had a halo effect that let them branch out. Liquid Death’s biggest strength is they know their audience incredibly well and know how to cater to them continuously.
• Disruptive marketing: My favorite campaign was when they turned their worst reviews into lyrics for a death metal album called the Greatest Hates. Again similar to how Oatly handled the backlash by launching a website called f*ckoatly.com and diving deep into their mistakes. Everyone says all press is good press even if its negative, but a few brands like Liquid Death and Oatly actually take it and turn it into a whole campaign which makes them stand out as bold.