Latest news with #LiquidDeath
Hypebeast
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Hypebeast
Liquid Death Drops "Cereal Criminal" Sparkling Water with Fruity Pebbles Flavor
Summary Liquid Deathhas teamed up withFruity Pebblesto release Cereal Criminal, a limited-edition sparkling water that tastes just like the sweet milk left at the bottom of your cereal bowl. The new flavor features just 15 calories, 3 grams of sugar and no artificial sweeteners, offering a nostalgic treat with minimal guilt. The brandsaysit's 'a rare crime you'll actually feel good about committing,' playing into the over-the-top tone fans have come to expect. Cereal Criminal is already rolling out at select retailers for $7.99 USD per six-pack of 12oz cans. It will also beavailablenationwide onAmazonstarting July 18, priced at $14.99 USD for a 12-pack. This new release continues Liquid Death's trend of blending pop culture, absurdity and surprising flavor innovation — all with the same irreverent energy that helped turn a canned water brand into a viral sensation.
USA Today
5 days ago
- Business
- USA Today
Liquid Death expands into energy drinks: What to know about Sparkling Energy
Liquid Death, the brand known for marketing canned water like it's a heavy metal band, is expanding into the energy drink space, the company confirmed to USA TODAY on July 17. The company said in an emailed statement it will launch Sparkling Energy nationwide in January 2026, calling it a "better-for-you energy drink line." Liquid Death says the energy drink category has "gone overboard with caffeine" and Sparkling Energy will contain an "unextreme caffeine" level of 100 mg per can, making it "equal to a cup of coffee." 'We thought, 'Let's have a sane level of caffeine, that's equal to a cup of coffee, because it seems like the category has gone a little caffeine-crazy',' said Liquid Death's founder and chief executive, Mike Cessario, in an interview with the Wall Street Journal, which first reported the move. Liquid Death says its caffeine is "naturally sourced from coffee beans" and that its energy drink line will have no sugar, sucralose, aspartame or erythritol. The brand says its energy drinks will be sweetened with a "unique blend of stevia and allulose, which has shown to maintain blood sugar levels, and have essential B12 and C vitamins." What flavors will Liquid Death energy drinks be available in? According to a LinkedIn post from Cessario, the energy drinks will be available in four flavors: How much will Liquid Death energy drinks cost? The company told USA TODAY the price for the drink will vary "based on channel," however according to reporting from the Wall Street Journal, Liquid Death plans to sell its energy drinks for around $3, roughly the same price as its competitors. How much caffeine is in other popular energy drinks? According to Red Bull's website, a 12-ounce can of its energy drink contains 114 mg of caffeine. Meanwhile, a 16-ounce can of the original green Monster Energy contains about 160 mg of caffeine. An 16-ounce can of Bang Energy drink contains about 300 mg of caffeine. Celsius says that Celsius and Celsius Vibe drinks contain about 200 mg of caffeine per can, Celsius Essentials contain about 270 mg of caffeine per can, and Celsius On-The-Go powders contain about 200 mg of caffeine per packet. Cleisus Hydration powders contain no caffeine. Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
Forbes
5 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Bold Marketing Is Helping VC-Backed Startups Stand Out And Scale
A stylized rocket launching in an abstract environment, surrounded by vibrant colors. As the rocket ... More takes off, it emits pink smoke and spheres against a contrasting purple background. The rocket signifies the initiation and progress of startups, emerging cryptocurrencies, and new business establishments, representing the concept of growth and the potential of innovative ideas. The world of venture-backed startups is fast-paced, high-pressure, and often unpredictable. Founders and teams juggle everything from fundraising and investor meetings to product pivots and relentless execution—often with little sleep and even less certainty. But beyond the spreadsheets and pitch decks lies a powerful (and often underrated) force: creativity. Some of today's most innovative startups aren't just disrupting industries with their products—they're also pushing boundaries in how they market themselves. From bold brand storytelling to guerrilla marketing, these recent campaigns by VC-backed startups prove that smart, edgy marketing can be very impactful. These three companies show that while traditional campaigns may feel outdated to some, in the right hands, they can become extraordinary. 'We didn't want to add to the AI noise. We wanted to make people laugh.' In an era where AI startups flood the market with technical jargon and indistinguishable messaging, Tennr — an AI-powered platform automating referral-based care — chose a refreshingly bold path: humor. 'Marketing is critical for tech companies today, especially given the AI boom we're experiencing. 'AI-powered' and 'Agentic AI' startups are saturating the market, and every company is starting to sound the same. We didn't want to contribute to that noise,' says Mia Vandermeer, Content & Brand Marketing Manager at Tennr. Fresh off a $101 million Series C led by IVP, with backing from Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed, GV, ICONIQ, Foundation Capital, and Frank Slootman, the company has tripled its revenue since its Series B and processed millions of patients through its referral orchestration platform. But instead of leaning into AI buzzwords, Tennr launched its first-ever ad campaign with an unlikely star — the fax machine. Cheekily titled Fax It, the campaign embraces the legacy of fax in healthcare with wit and self-awareness: 'If you can't beat the fax, embrace it — and make it smarter.' 'We didn't want to add to the AI noise. We wanted to make people laugh,' says Vandermeer. The campaign, intentionally crafted without generative AI, relied on human creativity to build emotional connection and brand personality — rebellious, self-deprecating, approachable, and fun. The result? 'It worked,' Mia shares. 'The campaign sparked organic buzz, resonated with healthcare professionals, and helped Tennr stand out in a crowded B2B environment often criticized for being dry.' Kegs for Pregs from Liquid Death Just over a year ago, Liquid Death — a canned water company known for its rebellious branding — closed a $67 million funding round at a $1.4 billion valuation, bringing its total venture backing to more than $267 million. Notably, this success comes in a category many investors tend to avoid: beverages. With that kind of complexity, you have no choice but to stand out — and that's where marketing comes in. The company's bold strategy recently took shape in a campaign that turned heads and defied norms. 'It started with a true insight — hydration is even more important during pregnancy,' explains Dan Murphy, SVP of Marketing at Liquid Death. The 'Kegs for Pregs' campaign concept focused on promoting hydration during pregnancy by featuring visibly pregnant influencer Kylie Kelce — creator and host of the Not Gonna Lie podcast — in a playful Irish pub setting, accompanied by a festive soundtrack. The campaign was timed to launch around St. Patrick's Day for maximum cultural relevance and impact. 'At the time of filming, Kylie was actually seven months pregnant and a genuine, big fan of our mountain water,' Murphy says. 'Ultimately, the campaign's more than 3 billion earned media impressions, along with exclusivity on her podcast, did a great job hitting our goal of informing head-of-household moms about Liquid Death.' Give Us the Finger with Oura Ring Oura, the Finnish health tech company known for the Oura Ring—a smart ring used to track sleep and physical activity—has emerged as a category-defining force in wearable wellness. In 2024, the company reached a $5.2 billion valuation following a $200 million Series D funding round, with participation from major investors including Fidelity Management and Dexcom. Now, Oura is pushing beyond performance metrics and into cultural conversation with its latest brand campaign and national TV spot. 'Aging isn't the enemy—it's the aspiration,' says Doug Sweeny, Chief Marketing Officer at Oura. The campaign challenges conventional narratives by reframing aging not as a decline, but as something to strive for. 'This campaign invites people into a thoughtful conversation around health—empowering them to take proactive ownership of their wellbeing at every stage of life,' Sweeny adds. Celebrating both the iconic design of the Oura Ring and its precise placement on the index finger, the campaign is an invitation to wear your commitment—to live fully, age intentionally, and take control of your health across every chapter. Why This Matters In a world where attention is currency and brand trust drives adoption, storytelling is a strategic asset. These campaigns show a different approach—one where creativity isn't an afterthought, it's a differentiator. Each of these brands harnessed marketing not just to promote a product, but to articulate a worldview. In doing so, they didn't just earn impressions—they earned emotional equity. For founders, the message is clear: what you build matters, but how you communicate it might matter even more. Companies that can craft a compelling narrative—and make people feel something—are more likely to rise above the noise, win loyalty, and own the category conversation.
Entrepreneur
5 days ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Liquid Death Announces 'Sane' Energy Drink
Liquid Death, the water brand known for its tongue-in-cheek "extreme" branding with skull-emblazoned beer-style cans, told The Wall Street Journal that they are about to kick things up a notch. But not too high of a notch. The brand will be releasing an energy drink in January called Sparkling Energy — and always going against the norm, their drink will have a decidedly "unextreme" 100 milligrams of caffeine. Per WSJ, that's about half the caffeine drinkers get in a Celsius or Prime. "We thought, 'Let's have a sane level of caffeine, that's equal to a cup of coffee, because it seems like the category has gone a little caffeine-crazy,'" Liquid Death's founder and Chief Executive, Mike Cessario, told WSJ. Related: How David Beckham and Shaun Neff Are Creating Buzz Around Their New Snack Brand BEEUP Each 12-ounce can of Sparkling Energy will offer vitamins, but no sugar or artificial sweeteners. It is another entry in the "better-for-you" category of packaged goods that are growing in popularity. The expected price will be between $2.59 and $3. The company says it will promote the drink with the same humorous approach that it takes with its water and sparkling waters, which helped propel Liquid Death to become a $1.4 billion juggernaut. As Dan Murphy, the brand's SVP of marketing, told Entrepreneur, everything they do comes through the filter of whether their ads will be shared on social media. "Because if it's not compelling enough for people to share, then it's probably not good tip-of-the-spear, top-of-the-funnel marketing," he explained. In the below video, Entrepeneur magazine's editor-in-chief, Jason Feifer, breaks down Liquid Death's breakout marketing success and how you can apply it to your business.
Entrepreneur
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Entrepreneur
Liquid Death Is Worth $1.4 Billion — Because of This Marketing Strategy
How the buzziest beverage brand creates so much attention, and how you can too Whenever Liquid Death makes content, its team asks the same question: Will this get shared on social media? Likes and comments are fine, but shares are what it really craves. "Because if it's not compelling enough for people to share," says Dan Murphy, the brand's SVP of marketing, "then it's probably not good tip-of-the-spear, top-of-the-funnel marketing." The proof is in the numbers: Sharable marketing propelled Liquid Death into being a $1.4 billion juggernaut, with 7 million followers on both Instagram and TikTok — even though, at its heart, it's just a brand that sells canned water and iced tea. But it's marketed and sold like an overly aggressive beer, which gets a lot of attention. So, how do they do it? Murphy says that their formula is easily replicable — and he's happy to share it. Here's how Liquid Death creates viral gold, in five steps. Step 1: Build an "entertainment-first" brand "The internet has completely shattered the attention economy," Murphy says. Consumers can skip anything they dislike, which means you must earn every second of their attention . That's why your marketing must be conceived of, produced, and presented as entertainment — and your brand must operate as an always-on content machine. Or as Murphy calls it: "You must be entertainment-first." Liquid Death didn't invent this idea, he admits. Red Bull proved the model decades earlier, by becoming a leading producer of extreme sports content. Liquid Death thinks of itself as a comedy producer. And your brand? It could produce anything — so long as it's entertaining, and appeals to your target audience. Step 2: Prioritize top of funnel Early-stage brands often get bogged down in optimization, Murphy says. They spend too much time on bottom-of-funnel elements like manufacturing and distribution — which is understandable, but leaves them vulnerable. "If nobody knows about the product, and if nobody's stopping on the shelf or searching for it on Amazon, then your other efforts were for naught," he says. Instead, he says, brands should lean heavily on social media. It's the only tool that can reach millions of people for free — and if you get it right, your other operational pieces will fall into place. Step 3: Invest in your entertainment Image Credit: Liquid Death Once you choose your lane, he says, you must lean into it heavily and fully. For example, Liquid Death doesn't just hire marketers; they hire comedy writers who have written for the likes of Adult Swim. Then they keep these writers "hermetically sealed" from the rest of the business — so that they can focus on the funniest ideas, and not be watered down by sales or marketing concerns. The result: They've sold kegs of water for pregnant women, called Kegs For Pregs. They a toilet-water taste test. They gave away a real jet. And they often partner with unexpected brands, like co-creating the Pit Diaper (for people who drink a lot in the mosh pit) with the adult-diaper company Depend. "We've been dropping at least one banger a month since our origin," Murphy says. "It can't just be, 'Oh, we did this, and then it's gone.' As an early company, you have to have that repetition and stay out there in culture." Step 4: Be nimble and take risks On social media, Murphy says, small brands have an advantage over large brands: "You can get stuff to market very quickly, you can test it, you can learn, you can react," he says — while larger competitors will move slowly and be risk-averse. Sure, small brands have small budgets. But Murphy says that can be a superpower — because small budgets force creative constraints, which he likes to call "budget haiku." Sometimes, the best content is also the cheapest, scrappiest, and most clever. He offers a challenge: Create ideas that you can articulate in a single sentence. If it takes longer than that, the idea might be too complicated. For example, he says, the Pit Diaper started like this: "What if we made adult diaper for the mosh pit?" he says. It's a clear, funny, instantly shareable idea. Step 5: Problems? Entertain the solution Being "entertainment-first" doesn't mean abandoning all marketing principles, Murphy says. You must still be alert to the market and your consumers' perceptions. But your solutions must also be entertaining. Here's an example: Liquid Death identified a problem: Although the brand is parodying beer advertising, too many consumers think that Liquid Death actually is a beer... or maybe an energy drink. To address that, Liquid Death bought its first Super Bowl ad in 2025. It featured pilots, cops, and doctors chugging a can on the job, while a jingle sings, "Drink on the job. Everybody's drinkin' on the job." "You couldn't watch that and go, 'It was a beer,' right?" Murphy says. It was funny, but it was also strategically responding to market research. Step 6: Turn your fans into content Once you start a conversation online, your fans will keep that conversation going — which creates a new wave of opportunity. "A lot of what we're doing right now is combing social media, looking for people's posts about Liquid Death," Murphy says. "We go to them and say, 'Hey, love that content. We'll put media behind your post and do some sophisticated targeting at different people. Then you will get exposure. And you will get followers." Sometimes, Liquid Death also pays these people a small amount of money — maybe $100 or so. But mostly it's not necessary. They're just psyched to help their favorite brand. In short: The best marketing doesn't feel like marketing. It feels like something people choose to watch — because it was made to entertain them, not to sell product to them. When that becomes your brand's ethos, your audience (and their loyalty) will follow.
