Nothing\u2019s being watered down here.<\/p>\n
Liquid Death, which began as a canned-water company in 2017, has amassed more than 14 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, which Dan Murphy, the brand\u2019s SVP of marketing, attributes to a commitment to making people laugh. In recent years, the brand has put out memorable campaigns like \u201cKegs for Pregs\u201d and casket coolers in an effort that goes beyond standing out from other brands.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re competing with the feed,\u201d Murphy told us. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to be the funniest thing in your feed that day.\u201d<\/p>\n
For Liquid Death, it\u2019s comedy at all costs\u2014often quite literally\u2014with stunts that toe the line of realism and often make fun of the exact industry they\u2019re participating in: advertising. Last year, the brand gave away a $400,000 fighter jet in a stunt inspired by the now-infamous Pepsi campaign that resulted in a lawsuit against the beverage company. The brand has also sold skateboards infused with Tony Hawk\u2019s blood, as well as pit diapers\u201d for concertgoers headed into a mosh pit\u2014moments that have been geared toward social and have amassed millions of views across platforms.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything we do is try to satirize advertising because we all hate ads,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cBut those tropes, those jingles, the setups are so embedded in our consciousness, so when you can take this familiar thing and twist it and make it funny or unexpected, there\u2019s tremendous bang for the buck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the brand\u2019s pricey stunts, its growing product lines, and a recent $1.4 billion valuation, Murphy said his in-house team remains intentionally lean, with only enough members to \u201cfit in an SUV, legally.\u201d We spoke with him about the ways in which his small team is pulling off mighty feats online.<\/p>\n
Big risk, big reward<\/strong><\/h2>\nWhen Liquid Death moved beyond its signature tall boys and created a smaller can of water last year, Murphy said it became clear early on that the news wasn\u2019t cutting through to its intended audience. So, his team came up with the \u201cSmall Cans\u201d campaign, which played heavily on innuendo regarding the importance of size. That campaign had generated 30 million views on Instagram and TikTok as of December and had a 3:1 ratio of shares to likes in its first 48 hours, Murphy said.<\/p>\n
Shares are the brand\u2019s key metric, he said, because it indicates that something is funny enough to be worth sending to a friend.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe North Star, the tip of the spear, is [to] always put out something that wins the feed, that\u2019s super funny, that\u2019s very shareable,\u201d he said. When that\u2019s done, he added, \u201cgood things happen.\u201d<\/p>\n
Because Murphy\u2019s team knows what works, Liquid Death handles everything from concept to execution in-house. Murphy said that also allows the brand to work quickly and efficiently by eliminating the \u201ctoo many cooks problem\u201d that agencies and strategists can possibly present.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is sometimes rare that a ton of different opinions make for great creative,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
There is some sign off involved, as CEO Mike Cessario attends the brand\u2019s weekly creative meetings. Murphy compared the environment to a TV writers\u2019 room, and he has made a point to hire professional comedians to help formulate the brand\u2019s next moves. Check-ins with the legal department, he said, often happen \u201clater on down the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
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In the case of its fighter-jet campaign, Murphy said Liquid Death was willing to assume some legal risks around operating the plane and potentially offending Pepsi in the name of comedy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew the scrutiny on all fronts was going to be high,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it wound up being this great thing where to enter, people had to buy Liquid Death. It drove a tremendous amount of sales, [and] it got a ton of press.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murphy stands ten toes down on all of Liquid Death\u2019s campaigns, even those that may have flown more under the radar. To promote its iced tea earlier this year, the brand became the official iced tea of the town of Arizona, Nebraska, so that it could call itself \u201cthe official iced tea of Arizona\u201d and poke fun at another canned-tea brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t the most viewed thing in the world, but we still use it in paid channels\u2026and we target different parts of the country where it\u2019s more resonant,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the content front, it\u2019s very successful, even though, for whatever reason, didn\u2019t become a multimillion-view piece of social.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it comes to bigger campaigns, Murphy emphasized the importance of messaging scarcity, though he acknowledged that an always-on strategy can work for other brands. His team\u2019s focus is on creating notable content \u201ca handful of times a month\u201d while keeping the bar high.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not doing volume play,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re really trying to make sure there\u2019s something out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Room for experimentation<\/strong><\/h2>\nBetween bigger campaigns, Liquid Death has turned to brand collabs with partners like e.l.f. Cosmetics and Van Leeuwen to reach new audiences online, in addition to getting more involved in the world of sports. Murphy\u2019s team has also seen recent success in identifying \u201cunpaid, unprompted, unbriefed\u201d UGC posts featuring Liquid Death and reaching out to the creators to put paid media behind the posts.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe content they\u2019ve made, it\u2019s unvarnished,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cIt\u2019s certainly what can cut through on the feed.\u201d<\/p>\n
This year, Liquid Death plans to experiment in the affiliate space, as well as with TikTok Shop, Murphy said. More immediately, though, it\u2019s gearing up for its second Super Bowl campaign, which he said will look much like last year\u2019s, particularly on social. Murphy said the brand plans to utilize creators and test different types of content across platforms, like last year when it showed a polished version of the ad on Instagram and a filmed version on TikTok to appear more organic.<\/p>\n
One thing seems certain: Liquid Death is going to continue to take risks, and Murphy recommends other brands interested in doing the same shouldn\u2019t let the potential for haters hold them back.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s going to be some people booing in a stadium,\u201d he said. \u201cBut if the majority are cheering, you will understand that is the sentiment.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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In the case of its fighter-jet campaign, Murphy said Liquid Death was willing to assume some legal risks around operating the plane and potentially offending Pepsi in the name of comedy.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe knew the scrutiny on all fronts was going to be high,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it wound up being this great thing where to enter, people had to buy Liquid Death. It drove a tremendous amount of sales, [and] it got a ton of press.\u201d<\/p>\n
Murphy stands ten toes down on all of Liquid Death\u2019s campaigns, even those that may have flown more under the radar. To promote its iced tea earlier this year, the brand became the official iced tea of the town of Arizona, Nebraska, so that it could call itself \u201cthe official iced tea of Arizona\u201d and poke fun at another canned-tea brand.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt wasn\u2019t the most viewed thing in the world, but we still use it in paid channels\u2026and we target different parts of the country where it\u2019s more resonant,\u201d he said. \u201cOn the content front, it\u2019s very successful, even though, for whatever reason, didn\u2019t become a multimillion-view piece of social.\u201d<\/p>\n
When it comes to bigger campaigns, Murphy emphasized the importance of messaging scarcity, though he acknowledged that an always-on strategy can work for other brands. His team\u2019s focus is on creating notable content \u201ca handful of times a month\u201d while keeping the bar high.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re not doing volume play,\u201d he said. \u201cWe\u2019re really trying to make sure there\u2019s something out there.\u201d<\/p>\n