Why Liquid Death worked so well?? It’s just water…

What if I told you someone took the most boring product on Earth—water—slapped a skull on it, called it 'Liquid Death,' and built a billion-dollar empire? You'd think I was crazy, right?

Here, we dive into the story of Liquid Death, sparkling water in a can, and why it worked in today's market.

How it all started

Mike Cessario, a former Netflix creative director, conceived the idea at the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, when he noticed that band members were drinking water out of a Monster can due to sponsorship requirements. That observation led him to think about why healthy products couldn't have exciting branding as energy drinks or beer.

Innovation often comes from questioning why things are the way they are.

Breaking the mold

Liquid Death's approach was to appeal to young, edgy consumers, who were tired of conventional health product marketing. By positioning water as rebellious and cool, they appealed to people who wanted to "fit in" at bars or social settings without drinking alcohol.

They positioned themselves as an entertainment company, instead of a beverage company. They created viral content with Tony Hawk and Martha Stewart, with marketing campaigns made to entertain and surprise.

The brand also placed sustainability into their DNA, with their #DeathToPlastic campaign, promoting the use of aluminum cans instead of plastic. And 10% of their profits goes towards ocean plastic pollution, further aligning with their target demographic.

The $1,500 Experiment

Before even bottling a single drop of water, Mike created a viral Facebook ad featuring heavy metal music, gore, and comedy. Where he validated the market demand for the product he was envisioning.

The result? Three million views and 80,000 followers in a mere few days.

The Success

Liquid Death follows five pillars for their success:

Pillar 1: Target the underserved

By targeting millennials and Gen Z as a cool alternative for concerts, bars and other social gatherings, and along with its unique design, the brand was able to position itself in the edgy non-drinkers section.

Pillar 2: Entertainment over advertising

No commercials, but funny, creative showcases of how their product is not what it seems like.

This is the perfect example:

A brand that took themselves too seriously would not do this.

Pillar 3: Environmental purpose

As Liquid Death explains accurately, aluminum is 100% recyclable, and plastic is not. Their campaign #DeathToPlastic provides a purpose to the brand, as well as donating a percentage of their earnings for environmental causes. This also provides customer a reason to buy into the brand.

Pillar 4: Consistency

A continuous message and image across their product, website, social media, provides an immersive experience of what the brand stands for. Without a fragmented experience.

Pillar 5: Embrace the controversy

Their approach to absurdity is refreshing. Their communication, humor style, is something you wouldn't expect from a very sane type of product, it's just water! But somehow, it looks like so much fun to drink.

What this means for your next project

Boring products can be reimagined. Ask yourself why not?

If you keep asking "why?" you'll often find the only answer is "that's just how it's always been done." Traditions, habits, and even whole industries are built on a foundation of nobody ever stopping to challenge the hand-me-down playbook.

Liquid Death did not succeed because of top notch technology, or the latest AI model, it did because it connected with the people that needed it. People craved a connection, a different approach to the same thing. Buying a can of Liquid Death is not about just buying water, it's about buying an idea you want to be a part of.

Even the worlds most ordinary products can ignite significant change.

Ask yourself next time, are you just selling a thing, or creating a movement?