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Supplying Demand, Inc.,[4] doing business as Liquid Death, is a canned water company founded by Mike Cessario. Its tagline is "murder your thirst".[5] The drink is sold in a 16.9 US fl oz (500 ml) "tallboy" drink can and a 19.2 US fl oz (570 ml) can. As of 2023, its water was canned by Wilderness Asset Holdings LLC in Virginia, US. The drink began selling to consumers on its website in January 2019. In October 2022, the company was valued at $700 million, though according to Dan Primack of Axios, the valuation could be viewed "skeptically"[6] as it was an insider-led round. Liquid Death currently has 14 flavors.
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| Liquid Death | |
| Founded | December 18, 2018[1] |
| Founder | Mike Cessario |
| Headquarters | , US[2] |
| Subsidiaries | Supplying Demand UK Limited[3] |
| Website | liquiddeath |
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The drink is sold in a 16.9 US fl oz (500 ml) "tallboy" drink can.[7] In 2020, the brand introduced a sparkling water variety.[8] Its manufacturer is Supplying Demand, Inc.[9] In addition to the original sparkling water, Liquid Death also introduced four flavored carbonated beverages including Mango Chainsaw, Severed Lime, Convicted Melon, and Berry It Alive.[10] Unlike their unflavored seltzer these flavored carbonated beverages ("sparkling waters") are actually akin to all-natural, low-calorie sodas as they not only contained added natural flavorings/extracts but also acidulants and some added sugar (from agave nectar) as well. The sugar sparkling waters have each around 20 calories. In March 2023, the company announced sale of three tea flavors: Grim Leafer, Rest in Peach, and Dead Billionaire. Dead Billionaire was originally called Armless Palmer, a play on the popular iced tea and lemonade beverage Arnold Palmer, but after Arizona Beverage Company threatened to sue the company for commercial use of the Palmer name in November 2023, Liquid Death announced the name change to Dead Billionaire, taking a jab at the late golfer.[11] All tea flavors contain agave nectar and 30 mg of caffeine.[12]
Liquid Death is also a producer of NFTs, which they called Murder Head Death Club.[13]
As of 2023, its water was no longer sourced from the Alps.[14] It is now bottled in Bland County, Virginia[15] or Custer County, Idaho (according to label on cans).[16]
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Delaware native Mike Cessario, a graphic designer[17] was inspired to create Liquid Death after watching a Vans Warped Tour in 2009 where concertgoers drank water out of Monster Energy cans. Cessario was inspired to market water in a manner similar to Monster. For marketing, Cessario emphasized interestingness, which he believed would transition into organic popularity on social media.[18]
The company originated with Cessario and three other partners, including a bartender and an artist. Before he and his partners chose the name Liquid Death, they thought over different names for the company (such as "Southern Thunder").[17] Cessario filed a trademark application for the term "Liquid Death" with the United States Patent and Trademark Office on July 6, 2017.[19] He produced a video advertisement to gauge market interest in the product, which received three million views before the water was available to consumers for purchase. Within a few months of release, the company had over 100,000 "likes" on Facebook, more than brands such as Aquafina had generated in their history on the platform.[17]
In 2019, Cessario stated the company's plan was to expand to bars, tattoo parlors, and certain barber shops in Los Angeles and Philadelphia as a "lifestyle play".[20] A move similar to The Coca-Cola Company's attempt to sell OK Soda on "feeling" rather than taste. [21] Cessario stated the brand was initially marketed towards straight edge adherents and fans of heavy metal music and punk rock.[22] The drink began selling to consumers on its website in January 2019.[20] Liquid Death raised US$1.6 million in seed funding from a round led by Science Inc. in 2019 (for a total amount raised to $2.25 million at that point),[22] $9 million in a series A round in February 2020,[23] and $23 million in a series B round in September 2020.[24]
In February 2020, the brand expanded into Whole Foods Market in the United States,[8] where according to Eater it became "the fastest-selling water brand on its shelves".[17] In August 2020, the brand expanded into two hundred 7-Eleven stores in the Los Angeles and San Diego markets as part of a trial run.[25] In May 2021, the company raised an additional $15 million in a Series C funding round completed with Live Nation, who said they would sell the drink exclusively in their events and venues for a period of time.[26] As of December 2021, the drink began selling in large supermarket chains such as Publix and Sprouts stores.[27] In January 2022, the company raised $75 million in Series C funding. The company received a $525 million valuation at the time.[28]
Cessario stated that the company's revenue rose to $45 million in 2021,[28] with revenue projected at $130 million for 2022.[a][29] In October 2022, the company raised a round led by Science for $70 million at a $700 million valuation, though according to Dan Primack of Axios, the valuation could be viewed "skeptically" as it was an insider-led round.[6]
In March 2024, the company raised $67 million in funding and received a $1.4 billion valuation. Liquid Death also reported $263 million in retail sales for 2023.[30]
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In May 2020, the company released Greatest Hates, an album of death metal music created with lyrics from hate comments the company received online;[31] a second album of hate comments, described as "punk rock", was released in November.[32][33][34] In February 2022, during Super Bowl LVI, the company released an advertisement featuring children enjoying the beverage with Judas Priest's song "Breaking the Law". Parodying advertisements for alcoholic beverages, the advertisement ends with the tagline "Don't be scared, it's just water".[35]
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- Projection made in October 2022[29]
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