1/13/2023 0 Comments Liquid death waterBefore launching Liquid Death, Cessario was a graphic designer by trade, working at advertising agencies and producing projects for big companies like Netflix. A teaser video made with mock-ups of the cans netted more than 3 million views before anyone had ever tasted a single drop: That’s when co-founder Mike Cessario says he realized that he’d created something special. Within a couple of months of its launch, the brand had racked up more than 100,000 fans on Facebook, which at the time was a number that eclipsed bigger brands, like Aquafina, on the platform. Liquid Death captured the imagination of the internet immediately. That was especially true when I reached for a chilly can in the midst of a brutal hangover last week, which was also when I learned that it is surprisingly easy to chug an entire can in a matter of seconds. The can also makes the water feel colder, a perception that’s apparently backed by science, making it taste more refreshing than the water that flows out of my Brita pitcher. When I first tried it, I was a little worried that the aluminum can would impart a tinny flavor, like those stainless-steel water bottles, but the water inside was surprisingly neutral with a mild minerality to keep things interesting. Mostly, though, people just thought that the brand was a highly targeted stunt intended to sell expensive water to punk kids, skateboarders, and anyone else dumb enough to pay a premium just because it comes in a tall boy can emblazoned with a skull.īut it turns out that Liquid Death - and this is coming from someone who insufferably considers themselves a water snob - is pretty damn good. Others decried the water’s heavy metal branding and slogan - “murder your thirst” - as toxic masculinity run rampant. Some called it the “Ed Hardy of water,” recalling the worst fashion trend of the early ’00s. But he did confirm that because the now 60-person company has “seen a ton of growth in retail and online in the past year,” it “didn’t need to raise a ton of cash right now.” In fact, he noted that as a “maturing” startup, Liquid Death now has “more access to favorable debt terms for working capital” should it go that route at some point.When Liquid Death launched in 2017 - with just a rendering of its now-distinctive tall boy can hitting the internet - everyone was pretty sure that this new water brand was just a gimmick. Liquid Death co-founder and CEO Mike Cessario, a former creative director and copywriter, declined yesterday to say how much Live Nation plans to charge for his products. (Because Liquid Death comes in recyclable aluminum cans versus far-less recyclable plastic bottles, the tie-up is a good look for Live Nation, too.) Specifically, Live Nation says that in a typical (not COVID) year, it brings in 100 million fans to events across more than 120 Live Nation-owned-and-operated venues and festivals across the U.S. Though Liquid Death has done pretty well on its own in terms of its distribution - it says its water is now carried in 16,000 locations throughout the U.S., including bars, tattoo parlors, cafes, local liquor stores and “big box” stores like Whole Foods, Walmart and 7-Eleven - Live Nation connects the brand with a massive and captive audience. Most meaningfully, Live Nation, the giant concert promoter, just became an equity investor and, as part of the deal, will only sell Liquid Death across its venues and festivals across the United States for a period of time. The new financing - it follows a $23 million Series B round last fall - was seemingly about getting more strategic partners involved with the brand. The round brings the company’s total backing to date to $50 million. Liquid Death, a four-year-old, LA-based canned mountain water startup that has steadily garnered market share and press coverage by promising, amusingly, to “murder your thirst,” just raised $15 million in Series C funding.
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