Liquid Death is a water company that cans its water rather than utilizing plastic bottles. Their tagline, “Murder Your Thirst” is a reflection of the overall aesthetic of the brand. They think of themselves as a punk rock and alternative way to drink your water. The cans are “tall boys” (19.2 fl oz) covered with what I see as American Traditional Tattoo designs, all intending to mimic an alcoholic beverage can.
One of Liquid Death’s main pillars is unconventional marketing tactics. “For centuries, all the funniest and coolest marketing and branding was only done for unhealthy products like beer, fast food, candy, and junk food. But those days are over. Soon, Liquid Death will use health and humor to conquer the world and make all beverages Liquid Death for eternity. At which point we’ll finally begin turning the human race into flesh batteries to power our giant marketing robots” (Liquid Death, 2025). They use the tagline and hashtag “Death to Plastic” to help support their use of “infinitely recyclable” metal aluminum canning and position themselves as more environmentally sustainable. The straight-edge and punk-rock branding being tied to environmental concern is appealing to a wider audience than, say, that of LaCroix. We can use Feminist Theory to understand that men generally don’t drink anything “girly” and prefer masculine things, making Liquid Death a better choice than a pink LaCoix can. This also appeals to the growing sober community as an alternative to “boring” drinks. Liquid Death made a deal with Live Nation to be their exclusive water supplier at live events such as concerts (Billboard, 2021). In my experience at Live Nation events, there is a noticeable increase in the number of people consuming water than a handful of years ago. Live Nation gets to say they are committed to being an environmental leader because it only serves aluminum cans. Double win for them! While there are dozens of humorous videos posted to Liquid Death’s YouTube channel with “Death to Plastic”, I want to focus on one: Don’t F*** The Planet.
“Don’t F*** The Planet” stars Cherie DeVille, an adult film actress who was born in Durham, North Carolina, and previously worked as a physical therapist (Amazon, 2025). DeVille’s work in the adult film industry has made her a recognizable celebrity to many. She often assumes the role of “Step-Mom” in her pornographic pursuits, which Liquid Death used to their advantage with this ad. She stands in a kitchen and introduces herself to us as “Cherie DeVille, adult film star and step-mom to the internet”. As she holds a can of Liquid Death, DeVille claims, “Because even though I’m into getting my [expletives] …by somebody who can really [expletives]…one thing I’m not into is single-use plastics.”. In the next shot, DeVille, still holding a can of Liquid Death, states that “this aluminum can is infinitely recyclable, but plastic bottles are not. Why? Because recycling plastic isn’t profitable, most just end up in our landfills and oceans”. The commercial comes to an end when DeVille asks us to join her and Liquid Death in the fight against plastic, claiming “Death to plastic”. She leaves us with her parting words, “C’mon, don’t f*ck the planet” and a smile as romantic music plays in the background. Liquid Death posted, “If you won’t listen to scientists about the myth of plastic recycling, maybe you’ll listen to adult internet star Cherie DeVille. Because if you’ve ever seen Cherie’s work, you know she’s a very passionate person. And one thing she’s really passionate about is not polluting our planet with single-use plastics,” in the video’s description. It also claims the ad was directed by Joanna Angel, another popular adult film actress.
This ad is funny. This ad is inappropriate. This ad is unconventional. These three things together make up an advertisement that is not only effective but also memorable. This could be the reason why Liquid Death is now valued at over $1.4 billion after only six years in the market (INC., 2024). The comment section of this YouTube video is overwhelmingly positive, with glowing reviews such as
“I LOVE the Liquid Death marketing team almost as much as I love not f***ing the planet.” @mrthefallenskater0
“There’s no way this is real… this is the greatest ad I’ve ever seen” @songsteel
“This marketing team needs a hefty raise, and casting Cherie was a brilliant idea. “Step mom to the internet,” I loled.” @deltamagnet
After reading these comments, one can assume this ad has resonated with the brand’s audience. It was an avant-garde decision to have an adult film actress star in and direct one of their ads. But it worked. My analysis is that Americans are horny people. Most of the ads you see during the Superbowl revolve around two things: Jesus and Breasts. Beer commercial? Breasts. Unifying commercial? Jesus. It’s not a new trend, and it continues because, well, it sells. What is different about the Liquid Death ad is that DeVille is in an arguably conservative outfit, sans her heels, and does not necessarily do anything suggestive. Her bleeped-out expletives are indicative of sexual behavior, but she doesn’t use her body as the selling point. It’s her words and her brand. Is that somehow more powerful? Is the environmental message better received coming from a beautiful adult film star? Could we say this was more respectful of women? Less? I don’t know. We could go into the misogynistic roots of advertising using women and sex to sell stuff for days, but I don’t want to do that! Honestly, good for DeVille and Angel. They got paid outside of their industry, and they spread a good message while doing it. If Liquid Death wants to continue to pay women to create content like this, I am okay with that. If it makes people ditch plastic water bottles and pick up aluminum cans, fantastic. There are much bigger fish to fry in all of human existence.
I won’t f*ck the planet, Cherie DeVille!
All Imaged Sourced From Google Images.
References:
Amazon. (2025). Cherie DeVille. Amazon Prime Video. https://www.amazon.com/prime-video/actor/Cherie-DeVille/amzn1.dv.gti.51dac2d8-cde9-4ac0-85f8-a6d3b1093a11/
Brooks, D. (2021, April 13). Who’s Up for a Liquid Death? Live Nation Signs Deal for Canned Water. Billboard. https://www.billboard.com/pro/liquid-death-can-water-deal-live-nation-venue/
Blum, S. (2024, March 12). Liquid Death, the Canned Water Company for Hipsters and Head Bangers, Doubled Its Valuation Overnight. INC. https://www.inc.com/sam-blum/liquid-death-the-canned-water-company-for-hipsters-and-headbangers-doubled-its-valuation-overnight.html
Liquid Death. (2025). Manifesto: About Us. https://liquiddeath.com/pages/manifesto
Liquid Death. (2022, April 13). Liquid Death: Don’t F*** The Planet with Cherie DeVille. [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/rs5T97hZpSY?si=d2jw0iSNLj5g-e4s
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