Who Starts A Still & Sparkling Water Brand Called Liquid Death? Mike Cessario!
I never imagined marketing a basic product like water could be this interesting. Liquid Death isn't your typical water brand, they are doing things in a very unconventional way...
Happy New Week,
Marketing for a bottled water brand does not seem like the most exciting thing to do. I mean how creative can you be with bottled water? Personally, I don’t choose what water I’m going to buy due to their marketing, most times I choose from my usual three Evian, Buxton, or Highland Spring depending on the price or whichever I see first. The only interesting bottled water campaign I can remember was Evian’s commercial with the baby’s on rollerskates.
However, there’s a new water brand in town marketing water in a very unconventional way, that brand is Liquid Death. They are taking over the bottled water market by storm. They are currently Amazon’s top-selling still water brand and second-bestselling sparkling water brand. Liquid Death is the brainchild of former Netflix director, Mike Cessario, who came up with the idea back in 2018 and “had no idea that it was going to take off like this.”
Liquid Death all started from Mike noticing that bands preferred to drink water on tour while performing but they had to put water in an energy drink can due to their sponsorship requirements. This led him to create a water brand that the bands actually enjoy drinking while performing. Mike Cessario says the brand was initially designed for heavy metal and punk rock fans who immediately understand the humor behind the brand and its campaigns.
From their branding and packaging, you wouldn’t think it’s a healthy beverage let alone water. It looks more like an energy drink or beer and there’s a reason for that. Mike wanted the packaging to not exclude people who want to enjoy something healthier at bars or concerts and not look out of place with people drinking something alcoholic or a sugary energy drink.
Mike attributes much of their success to their marketing, his experience in viral promotions for Netflix series such as House of Cards, Narcos, and Stranger Things has given him a great understanding of creating sticky and successful campaigns. He shot the first Liquid Death commercial for $1.5k and spent $3k on paid Facebook ads. Within three months, Liquid Death had more Facebook followers than Aquafina, and the ad had more than 3 million views. Liquid death now currently has 1.4 million followers on Instagram whilst Evian only has 152k. Their TikTok account is the most followed beverage brand in the US on the platform, with 2.9 million followers.
In addition to their strong marketing, Liquid death being a canned drink gives them a competitive advantage. Most water brands use plastic bottles which are not environmentally friendly. Liquid Death has partnered with a handful of non-profit organisations to help curb climate change, and 10% of their profit from each can are donated to help kill plastic pollution. Using aluminum cans instead of plastic bottles is more sustainable and appealing to young audiences.
Liquid Death has been building a community with their Liquid Death Country Club, a membership program that allows patrons early access to merch drops and live events. Their patrons go crazy for the brand, they’ve built a cult-like following with some fans even tattooing Liquid Death on their bodies.
Liquid death is currently valued at $700 million and is still pretty much in its infancy when you compare it to more established water brands. Liquid Death’s Mountain Water and Sparkling Water are currently sold in major retail stores in the U.S., including Whole Foods, Target, and 7-Eleven. I’m interested in seeing the brand crossover to the UK and competing with popular UK bottled water brands.