In partnership with

Stay up-to-date with AI

The Rundown is the most trusted AI newsletter in the world, with 1,000,000+ readers and exclusive interviews with AI leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Demis Hassibis, Mustafa Suleyman, and more.

Their expert research team spends all day learning what’s new in AI and talking with industry experts, then distills the most important developments into one free email every morning.

Plus, complete the quiz after signing up and they’ll recommend the best AI tools, guides, and courses – tailored to your needs.

Sign up to start learning.

🧊 How an Ugly Water Can (Liquid Death) Became a $700M Brand

Picture this: You walk into an investor meeting and say, "I want to sell water in tall boys, name it Liquid Death, and market it with heavy metal music." Most investors would show you the door.

But that's exactly what Mike Cessario did. And now? Liquid Death is worth $700M, making it one of the fastest-growing beverage brands in history.

The "Are You Crazy?" Strategy 🤪

In 2019, people thought selling water in beer cans was marketing suicide. But here's the thing about being weird: When everyone zigs, sometimes you have to zag. Hard.

4 "Deadly" Marketing Lessons We Can All Steal

1. The Power of Pattern Interruption ⚡

- Every water brand: "Pure, clean, healthy!"

- Liquid Death: "Murder your thirst"

- Result? 50M+ views on their first viral video

- Lesson: Different isn't just better. Different gets remembered.

2. The "Unemployable" Marketing Team 🎭

- Hired comedy writers instead of marketers

- Created content other brands wouldn't dare touch

- Famous example: Their "Don't Fund Evil" campaign

- Lesson: Your best marketing ideas might come from non-marketers

3. The "Haters = Fame" Formula 🔥 

- Published real hate comments in their ads

- Created a children's book from mean tweets

- Generated 2M+ organic shares

- Lesson: When people hate loudly, fans love harder

4. The Merchandise Money Machine 💸 

- Sold skateboards filled with their water: Sold out in 2 hours

- Created "Greatest Hates" NFT collection: Made $1.2M in 3 days

- Produced heavy metal horror movies about water

- Lesson: They're not selling water. They're selling rebellion.

The Numbers Don't Lie 📈 

• 2019: $3M in sales

• 2020: $45M in sales

• 2021: $130M in sales

• 2022: $400M in sales

• 2023: $750M in sales

• 2024: On track to hit $1B

All for water. In a can. With a skull on it.

The Million-Dollar Question 💭 

How did a brand that breaks every marketing rule succeed? Because they understood one thing: People don't buy products. They buy into movements.

Liquid Death isn't selling H2O. They're selling the chance to make everyday moments a little less boring. And they're laughing all the way to the bank.

Your Action Steps This Week: Disrupt, Test, Scale 🚀

1. Strategic Disruption Audit (Do This Today)

- List your industry's top 5 marketing clichés (be brutal)

- For each cliché, brainstorm 3 opposite approaches:

* If they're formal → Get irreverent

* If they use stock photos → Use memes

* If they're safe → Get controversial

- Run the "Would I Notice?" test:

* Screenshot 5 competitor websites

* Show someone for 3 seconds each

* If they can't remember any, that's what you're fighting

- Pick your boldest idea and outline it in full (with visuals)

2. The Two-Week Mini Revolution (Start Monday)

- Choose ONE marketing channel for experimentation:

* Email: Rewrite subject lines with shock value

* Social: Post what your lawyer would hesitate about

* Website: Rewrite copy to offend your boring competitors

- Document everything:

* Screenshot all engagement (positive AND negative)

* Save every angry email

* Record view times and bounce rates

* Track share counts religiously

- Measure against your normal metrics:

* Standard engagement rate vs. new approach

* Regular conversion rate vs. bold tests

* Normal share rate vs. disruptive content

* Customer feedback quality (depth, not just quantity)

3. Build Your Cult Following (Ongoing)

- Create your "Anti-Mission" statement:

* What does your industry take too seriously?

* What do customers secretly hate?

* What would make competitors uncomfortable?

- Identify your perfect "enemy":

* Not your competitors

* The conventional wisdom you're fighting

* The boring status quo

- Rally your first 100 true fans:

* Give them a name (like Liquid Death's "Murder Club")

* Create exclusive content just for them

* Let them preview your craziest ideas

* Turn their feedback into even bolder moves

Until next week,

TJR @ Brandzine

P.S. Want to dive deeper into disruptive marketing strategies? Join our private community for $44/month and get weekly deep dives, live teardowns, and direct access to veterans who've built breakthrough brands. Click here to join the marketing rebellion!