When Andy Pearson joined Liquid Death as vice president of creative in 2021, the company was still explaining to potential partners that it “put water in cans.” Today, those same conversations are along the lines of, “‘God, water in a can. It’s so obvious. I can’t believe I didn’t think of that,’” Andy says.
This change in thinking didn’t happen overnight. Using humor throughout its marketing built Liquid Death a cult following. The team turned the conversation around one of the most basic consumer packaged goods—water—into entertainment. A billion-dollar valuation soon followed.
How to use humor to market your brand
When most brands consider using humor in their marketing, they fear the potential risks. What if people don’t get the joke? What if we offend someone? What if it doesn’t align with our brand values? These fears mean most companies play it safe with bland, forgettable campaigns that disappear into the marketing noise.
Andy has a different perspective on comedic marketing. “It floors me that more brands don’t try to employ genuine humor, because it’s the fastest way to actually reach somebody and have a really powerful moment with somebody,” he explains. “Laughter literally is an involuntary response to making a connection with somebody or something.”
Under Pearson’s leadership, Liquid Death has transformed from a startup selling water in cans to a unicorn company with comedy at the center of its marketing. Defaulting to comedy offers a practical blueprint for any brand looking to implement humor successfully without falling into the common pitfalls that make most attempts at comedic marketing fall flat.
1. Understand the power of comedy
Before diving into tactics, it’s crucial to understand why comedy works in advertising. Andy challenges the conventional wisdom that humor is subjective. “Comedy is based on two people looking at the same thing and agreeing that that’s true. I think comedy’s the least subjective thing because of that shared recognition,” Andy says.
This shared recognition creates instant connection and trust between brands and consumers. When someone laughs at your content, they’re not just enjoying a moment of entertainment—they’re acknowledging that they see the world the same way you do. This psychological bond is far stronger than traditional advertising’s attempt to convince people of features and benefits.
Humor also cuts through the defensive walls consumers have built against marketing. People actively seek out funny content and share it with others, turning your marketing into entertainment that people actually want to consume. Andy sees focusing on points of connection—like humor—as a better use of a marketing budget.
2. Build the brand into a character, not a corporate entity
Successful comedy marketing lies in thinking of your brand as a character rather than a company. Liquid Death abandoned traditional brand books and rigid guidelines in favor of a more organic, character-driven approach. “Rather than being a brand, Liquid Death is almost more of a character,” Andy explains. “If we were writers on a show, we would just write about what that character would do in that scene.”
This character approach provides several advantages for implementing humor. It gives the brand a consistent voice and perspective that can adapt to different situations while remaining authentic. It also eliminates the paralysis that comes from overthinking brand rules. When faced with any creative decision, the team simply asks: “What would Liquid Death do?”
This process starts by identifying the personality traits, values, and quirks that define your brand’s culture. What kind of humor do the people behind your brand naturally gravitate toward? What perspective does your team share about your industry or the world in general? Starting with this type of authenticity as your foundation ensures your comedy feels genuine rather than forced.
3. Master the art of treating absurd ideas seriously
One of Liquid Death’s most powerful comedic tactics is presenting ridiculous premises with complete sincerity. Its collaboration with Depend on a “pit diaper”—a studded leather diaper for concert-goers—exemplifies this approach. “We spend the whole video, email, or whatever touchpoint really making a case for this really stupid idea. And by the end, you arrive at being like, all right. They’ve kind of convinced me,” Andy says.
Presenting something ridiculous with sincerity works because it respects the audience’s intelligence while delivering entertainment. Instead of winking at the camera to signal “We know this is silly,” the commercials commit fully. The key is to find the thread of truth within the absurdity that your audience can connect with.
4. Implement a small bets testing philosophy
Traditional marketing operates on big bets: months of development, significant budgets, and campaigns that must work for entire quarters. Comedy marketing requires the opposite approach—rapid iteration and small-scale testing. It’s similar to how comedians develop material.
“We’re almost in the same way that a standup [comedian] is getting up on stage and workshopping new material in front of an audience. We’re just kind of doing that on our social feed constantly," Andy says. Liquid Death can test dozens of comedic concepts quickly and cheaply, learning what resonates with their audience before investing in larger campaigns.
Because you’re making a lot of small bets, occasional failures won’t damage your brand or budget. “We can afford to have a failure every once in a while because we didn’t spend that much time or money on this thing,” Andy says. Knowing they aren’t likely to damage their brand encourages the team to move fast and make bolder creative choices.
5. Accept that polarization is part of success
One of the biggest barriers to creating humorous marketing content is brands often worry that if the public doesn’t like their humor, it will damage their reputation. “Make stuff that some people aren’t gonna like. That’s the only way you’re gonna make something that a lot of people love,” Andy says.
Polarization is a feature, not a bug, of successful comedy marketing. When some of the public strongly dislikes your content, it usually means others will love it. The alternative, content everyone finds mildly acceptable, won’t resonate or be remembered by anyone.
“Looking at a comment section where you have five people shitting on your brand is the equivalent of like walking into a soccer stadium and you have 10,000 people all cheering for you, and then there’s a section in the top row with five people going ‘boo,’” Andy says.
Liquid Death avoids content that’s mean-spirited or offensive to people, and they never punch down, but their content often challenges industry norms or pokes fun at marketing conventions.
6. Never break character
A mistake other brands make when attempting humor is signaling they don’t really mean it. Brands will hedge their bets with disclaimers, wait for April Fool’s Day to try anything bold, or immediately backtrack after the smallest amount of criticism. Apologizing for marketing before the public asks for it only destroys the comedic effect.
Liquid Death never breaks character. When it created the pit diaper, it priced it for $75—and it sold out in two hours. “It’s way more fun to never blink or never give a wink,” Andy says. “I think that’s how a lot of brands approach humor, they’re always trying to be like, ‘just kidding.’”
Unless blood figures prominently, as in the Martha Stewart campaign, Liquid Death commits to every bit. The brand maintains its voice across all touchpoints, from social media to packaging to customer service. Brand consistency builds trust with audiences who appreciate knowing what to expect.
The ultimate goal of comedic marketing isn’t just to create viral moments—it’s to build a relationship with your customers. Market rivals will have a difficult time replicating the competitive advantage of inside jokes and shared humor. Humor is a competitive moat because it’s based on authenticity rather than features or pricing that competitors can copy. When your humor genuinely reflects your company culture and values, attempting to imitate it feels forced.
Watch the full interview on the Shopify Masters YouTube channel to learn how Liquid Death brainstorms campaigns and turned water in a can into a billion-dollar empire.
