Is the idea of canned water too froofy for you? Are you too metal to be seen drinking water out of a sustainable box? Well, a new brand of water called “Liquid Death” is here to save your punk image and “murder your thirst.” Yeah, you should be scared.
Liquid Death Mountain Water is packaged in 16-ounce cans that make it look like beer rather than fancy water. And to be fair, there’s really nothing special about Liquid Death itself — it’s just water, after all. It’s the marketing that is really making people intrigued (or gag).
The idea to market canned water to the straight-edge punk community came from Mike Cessario, the cofounder and CEO of Liquid Death. If his name sounds familiar it’s because Cessario was the creative director at Netflix. He’s responsible for several viral promotions for the company for shows like Narcos, Stranger Things, and House of Cards.
“When we first started, we wondered why is it that products and [consumer packaged goods] products have to play by these 1950s bland and boring rules, while other entertainment things can play by much more fun rules,” Cessario told Business Insider on May 7th.
He merged his love for punk with his experience in marketing and bam — Liquid Death was born.
Cessario and his Liquid Death team have raised $2.25 million in funding. The project is backed by huge names like Michael Dubin, founder and CEO of Dollar Shave Club, Biz Stone, cofounder of Twitter, and Jen Rubio, cofounder of Away.
They’re all on board with Cessario’s plan to market water to punks who are turned off by the traditional waters marketed to “Whole Foods yoga moms,” as Cessario put it to Business Insider.
“At first we knew the easiest crowd for us is anyone into heavy metal, punk rock, and that kind of world because they immediately get the joke and get the humor and have never seen anything like it,” he continued.
“What makes this appealing for such a large group is that it feels like a niche thing.”
The brand is also eco-conscious with its recyclable cans and dedication to donate $0.05 to ocean cleanup organization for every can sold. “We are by far the most sustainable option for packaged water, which is a big driver for why people want to buy from us,” Cessario said.
Liquid Death first attempted to advertise during the Super Bowl. However, their commercial was a bit too much for the audience to handle.
[fm_youtube url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EeRADNpdKD4&feature=youtu.be"]And their animated commercial isn’t family-friendly. Mind you, it’s a bit graphic.
Despite the backing Cessario has for Liquid Death, many aren’t yet sold on the idea. It’s literally just water in a souped-up can.
I hate this. https://t.co/JngWsh0eAP
— Lisa Tozzi (@lisatozzi) May 7, 2019
If the punk community is so turned off by “Whole Foods yoga mom” water, why not just drink tap water? This would be just as, if not more, sustainable.
finally, water that's punk enough for me to drink
— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) May 7, 2019
Plus, selling water online is a bonkers idea.
Goodwin added in a followup tweet, “I think all professions should have a court of stupidity. And if you do something dumb as a VC , like fund a terrible idea, you should be struck off a list. Same with advertising people.”
Selling dumb water like this “online” is about as stupid as marketing and business will ever get
— Tom Goodwin (@tomfgoodwin) May 7, 2019
I hope.
We pointlessly destroyed the planet but at least it was a bit rock and roll. https://t.co/hBCdi6yvgw
To think that over $2 million has been donated to this water company and Flint, Michigan is still dealing with their water crisis is making some heads spin. Yikes.
*people in Flint, Michigan look directly at camera* https://t.co/zgWeEdMeBt
— Saeed Jones (@theferocity) May 7, 2019
Others are disappointed that two high-profile women CEOs would back a “bro culture”-spawned project rather than advancing female-backed ideas that could actually make a difference. And honestly, we agree.
A modern proposal: Fund women with actual, world-changing ideas instead of perpetuating broculture https://t.co/ckNJVgorfB
— Girls Who Code (@GirlsWhoCode) May 7, 2019
“The is the bulls*it side of Bro Culture in Silicon Valley,” one Twitter user said. It’s just canned water. It’s not saving lives.
The is the bulls*it side of Bro Culture in Silicon Valley - No problem funding ‘Liquid Death’ - plain water in a can - when women led start-ups only secure 2% of total VC funding https://t.co/GO7OaLVYn7
— Eileen OS (@eosull) May 7, 2019
The overall sarcasm directed toward the product is pretty overwhelming. People just generally aren’t on board with Liquid Death.
However, the company knows it’s not going to be taken seriously and that many may not find it humorous. They’ve even used some comments from haters in their own marketing.
But obviously, someone is buying this stuff (for $21.96 per 12-pack). And some even give kudos to their mission.
What do you guys think? Would you buy Liquid Death or does regular tap water “murder your thirst” just fine?
