Liquid Death's Anti-Marketing Secrets That Built A $1 Billion Brand
Executive Summary
A Shopify Masters interview, hosted by Serena Smith, with Andy Pearson, vice president of creative at Liquid Death, the canned water brand the description says is valued above 1 billion dollars. He describes the brand as a beverage platform that presents healthier drinks like a beer or energy drink, and explains its anti-marketing approach: make things some people will not like, test ideas quickly and cheaply instead of running huge campaigns, use his agency background to poke at marketing norms, and keep the whole creative process in-house with a lot of on-set improvisation. The description mentions ads such as a Martha Stewart spot and a Super Bowl commercial. Sponsor: Shopify, which produces the show and is named in the description with a free trial offer. PARTIAL COVERAGE: this note is based on the opening, the brand positioning, the rapid testing section, the anti-marketing section and the closing, and may not cover every point in the roughly 45 minute video. Valuation and other claims are the guest's or description's own and not independently checked. Nothing here is health, medical or financial advice.
Key Takeaways
What Liquid Death sells
The guest says the brand thinks of itself as a healthy beverage platform covering water, flavored sparkling water and iced tea.
Healthy but not boring
He says water that presents itself like a beer or energy drink means people do not feel they are missing out.
Polarise on purpose
He says if you make things some people will not like, that is the only way to make something many people love.
Test fast and cheap
He says the team tries many things quickly and cheaply, unlike agencies that spend months on a single big campaign.
Fun as a signal
He says the best compliment is hearing the team looks like it is having fun, because audiences feel it too.
Poking at marketing
He says the brand pokes at marketing and tries to flip its extractive nature by first making something people love.
Own the process
He says owning the whole process lets them improvise on set and stay true to the brand.
The Conversation Breakdown
What Liquid Death sells
⏱ Untimed topicThe guest says the brand thinks of itself as a healthy beverage platform covering water, flavored sparkling water and iced tea.
Healthy but not boring
⏱ Untimed topicHe says water that presents itself like a beer or energy drink means people do not feel they are missing out.
Polarise on purpose
⏱ Untimed topicHe says if you make things some people will not like, that is the only way to make something many people love.
Test fast and cheap
⏱ Untimed topicHe says the team tries many things quickly and cheaply, unlike agencies that spend months on a single big campaign.
Fun as a signal
⏱ Untimed topicHe says the best compliment is hearing the team looks like it is having fun, because audiences feel it too.
Poking at marketing
⏱ Untimed topicHe says the brand pokes at marketing and tries to flip its extractive nature by first making something people love.
Own the process
⏱ Untimed topicHe says owning the whole process lets them improvise on set and stay true to the brand.
Core Frameworks & Ideas
Anti-marketing - the guest's approach
Make something people actually like first, then weave in product messages.
Prototype ideas live - the guest's method
Try many small ideas, see how people react and carry the learning forward.
Know the rules to break them - the guest's view
A formal marketing background helps in subverting the category.
Actionable Next Steps
- ✓Check the valuation and campaign claims against company and press sources.
- ✓List one small, cheap marketing test you could run this week instead of a big campaign.
- ✓Look at how your category speaks, and note where it could break from the norm.
- ✓Treat the advice as the guest's experience at one brand, not a guarantee.
Notable Quotes
“Make stuff that some people aren't going to like. That's the only way you're going to make something that a lot of people love.”
“We just want to make something that people like.”
“It's water that presents itself like a beer or energy drink so that it doesn't feel like you're missing out.”
The One Thing to Remember
The guest argues that making bold, polarising work, testing quickly and cheaply and owning the creative process let Liquid Death turn a can of water into a big brand.