Liquid Death: Environmentalism for Everyone
Let’s start with the obvious: bottled water is just the worst.
In a country where (for the most part) potable water flows from our faucets and drinking fountains, it’s astounding that we use 15 billion gallons of bottled water every year.
Of course, sometimes there are moments that merit the use of bottled water–for example, there’s a water main break in the area and you can’t trust the tap water today. Or you’re having a massive party and don’t have enough cups for everyone. Or you forgot your reusable water bottle. Or you live in Flint, Michigan, where people are still dealing with the fallout from the 2014 water crisis.
But why does it have to come in plastic? It’s not great for our health and it’s really not great for the planet.
The last few years have seen the rise of boxed and canned water, which is a huge step forward. Aluminum cans are dramatically more recyclable than plastic. Almost 75% of all the aluminum ever produced in the US is still in use today–if it remains uncontaminated, it is endlessly recyclable. And yet, most of our prepackaged water options still come in a plastic bottle. Why are we so attached to the clear appearance of the packaging?
Enter Liquid Death, one of the coolest brands of canned water ever.
Due to its gnarly logo, tallboy can, and truly metal brand name, you might be surprised to learn that Liquid Death is, in fact, just water (they have also expanded their brand to include sparkling waters and flavored waters). It’s the kind of thing you might order at a bar if you want to sober up or avoid drinking completely but don’t want to change the night’s vibe by being that guy drinking water at a bar. And their entire marketing strategy is off-the-wall, slightly ironic, niche humor that puts you in the mindset of Adult Swim or 2000s Bud Light commercials.
For example, check out this commercial of kids partying with Liquid Death tallboys.
Or this one of grannies blasting death metal.
It definitely isn’t what you expect from a brand that puts environmentalism at the center of what they do. While their tagline is “Murder your thirst,” a lot of their ads end with the line “Death to plastic.” They’re not hiding their focus on sustainability–but unlike a lot of sustainable brands, they also aren’t putting that front and center because their target market is NOT hardcore environmentalists.
A perfect example is their Recycled Plastic Surgery commercial. The entire ad is based around the concept that plastic isn’t all that recyclable and it doesn’t have anywhere to go once it’s been discarded. But their approach is off-beat, bordering-on-grotesque humor.
They’re not targeting the people who carry their reusable water bottle everywhere with them because those people don’t buy water that comes in a disposable package. They’re targeting the people who do sometimes buy drinks that come in plastic, and who care about being sustainable just enough to choose Liquid Death over the nearest brand of bottled water.
And there’s something beautiful about this approach. Weird, potentially off-putting, and hilarious, yes, but beautiful: because environmentalism isn’t just for hardcore environmentalists who like their packaging to have green leaves and blue water on it.
It’s for everybody. It is a problem we all share, and we all need to be part of the solution. We all need to be part of the sustainability movement.