Latest / Brand Storytelling with Fexingo: Narrative, Mission, and Stories That Sell / How Liquid Death Turned Canned Water Into a Rebel Brand
Transcript
- Lucas: So there's a brand that sells canned water — literally water in a can — and it's valued at seven hundred million dollars. Not because the water is special, but because the brand tells a story that makes people feel like rebels for drinking it. Luna: You're talking about Liquid Death. The one with the skull logo and the tagline 'Murder Your Thirst'. Lucas: Exactly. And today I want to look at how they did it — because this isn't a story about a better product. It's a story about a better narrative. Liquid Death launched in 2019, and by 2023 they were doing over one hundred million dollars in annual revenue. All without a single traditional ad. Luna: No TV, no radio, no billboards? Lucas: None. The entire marketing budget went into content and community. And honestly, that's the part that's worth drilling into — how you build a brand when you're literally selling something that people can get for free from a tap. Luna: Before we go deeper — quick thing. You know, if these marketing conversations have sparked something you've actually used in your own work, there's a way to keep this show ad-free and independent. It's buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. No pressure, just a way to support the conversations that matter. Lucas: Yeah, and honestly, it's listeners like that who keep us digging into stories like this one. So — back to Liquid Death. The founder, Mike Cessario, came from the ad world. He worked at agencies like Crispin Porter and Bogusky. He knew that in a world of infinite content, the only way to break through is to be genuinely entertaining. Luna: So he created a brand that doesn't take itself seriously — but takes its mission seriously. Lucas: Right. The mission is killing plastic pollution. Every can is infinitely recyclable, and the company donates a portion of profits to plastic cleanup. But instead of marketing that with earnest ads, they wrapped it in a heavy metal aesthetic. The name itself — Liquid Death — is a reference to a Mike Patton song from the band Fantômas. Luna: That's such a niche reference. It almost feels like an inside joke that only a few people get — but somehow it worked. Lucas: That's the genius of it. The inside joke becomes a badge of belonging. If you get the reference, you're part of the tribe. And if you don't, you're still intrigued by the irreverence. The brand's first viral moment came from a video where they took a can of Liquid Death to a funeral and 'murdered' it — crushed it — as a send-off. Luna: I remember that. It was weird and funny and completely unforgettable. Lucas: That video got millions of views. And it set the tone for everything that followed. They've since done collaborations with death metal bands, launched a 'funeral' themed merch line, and even created a fake documentary series about the brand's origin story. All of it feels like entertainment, not advertising. Luna: But here's the thing — entertainment alone doesn't build a seven hundred million dollar business. There has to be a distribution strategy too. Lucas: Absolutely. And Liquid Death's distribution is as clever as their content. Instead of fighting for shelf space in grocery stores — where they'd be next to Dasani and Aquafina — they targeted venues. Concerts, festivals, gyms, tattoo parlors. Places where the brand's aesthetic fits naturally. Luna: So it's about context. The product feels right in those environments because the brand already lives there conceptually. Lucas: Exactly. And they also built a direct to consumer business that's surprisingly large. They sell cases of cans on their website, and they've grown an email list of over one point eight million subscribers. That list is their primary sales channel — they send emails that look like death metal posters, and people buy. Luna: One point eight million is huge. How did they build that list? Lucas: Mostly through contests and giveaways that require an email. But the key is that every email feels like a continuation of the brand's personality. It's not '20% off your next purchase.' It's 'We'll send you a coupon, but only if you promise to crush the can afterwards.' Luna: So the gamification is built into every touchpoint. Lucas: Right. And that's the lesson for any brand — especially if you're selling something commoditized. Liquid Death proves that people will pay a premium for water if the story is compelling enough. Their cans cost about two dollars each — roughly five times what a bottle of store-brand water costs. Luna: And people are happy to pay it because they're not just buying water. They're buying the feeling of being in on the joke. Lucas: Exactly. But now comes the hard part: scaling without losing the edge. Liquid Death is now in over one hundred thousand retail locations, including major chains like Whole Foods and Target. When you go mainstream, the counterculture appeal can start to fade. Luna: They're walking a tightrope. How do you keep the 'rebel' energy when you're being sold next to organic kale chips? Lucas: That's the million-dollar question. Some signs suggest they're managing it. They recently launched a flavored sparkling water line called 'Severed Sparkling' — still death-themed, still irreverent. And they've started running TV ads in select markets, but the ads are just as weird as their digital content. One spot is just a guy screaming into a can for thirty seconds. Luna: That's brilliant. It's almost like they're making fun of the very idea of a TV ad. Lucas: Exactly. They're staying true to their core. But there's a risk that the joke gets old. Every brand that starts as a rebellion eventually faces the question: what happens when everyone knows the joke? When the mainstream embraces you, you're no longer the underdog. Luna: So what do you think? Can they sustain it? Lucas: I think they can, if they keep evolving the narrative. The best counterculture brands — think Harley-Davidson or Dr. Martens — they don't stay static. They find new ways to be relevant. Liquid Death has already started expanding into new categories: they have a canned iced tea called 'Death Tea' and a sparkling water line. Each new product gives them a chance to refresh the story. Luna: And they're also leveraging merchandise. Their online store sells everything from t-shirts to skateboard decks. It's almost like they're a lifestyle brand that happens to sell water. Lucas: Exactly. And that's the ultimate lesson. Liquid Death isn't a beverage company that does marketing. It's a media company that happens to sell beverages. Their content — the videos, the emails, the merch — is the product. The water is just the proof of concept. Luna: So for someone listening, what's the one takeaway? Lucas: If you're building a brand in a boring category, don't try to out-feature the incumbents. They'll always have better features. Instead, find a cultural story that makes your product feel like a statement. Liquid Death turned water into a middle finger to plastic pollution — and people bought in, literally. Luna: It's a reminder that the best brands aren't about what they sell. They're about what they stand for. Lucas: And what they stand for can be as simple as 'we think plastic is dumb, and we're going to have fun while killing it.' That's a message that resonates. And it's why a can of water can be worth seven hundred million dollars. Luna: Alright, I'm going to go crush a can now. Thanks for the story. Lucas: Cheers to that. See you next time.