Mourn The Bottles
Since Liquid Death began selling mountain water in aluminum cans to customers in 2019, they have fought to gain traction in an extremely competitive category. Compared to other drinking water companies, Liquid Death is new to the game. Also, as a challenger brand, Liquid Death has to fight tooth and nail to make small gains in market share and share of voice. Their hardcore brand messaging has put them on the map, however in order to steal customers away from the competition, Liquid Death needs to stamp itself as a household name in the eyes of the younger generation. We were asked to create a campaign that not only tackles the issues of sustainability in the packaged water category but would help Liquid Death steal competition away from the big players that dominate their space.
Positioning
Audience
Generation Z and Millennials (1.4 Million Instagram followers)
Product Class
Drinking Water
Market Share
0.0015% of the drinking water category (Statista, Liquid Death)
Brand Messaging
Rebel archetype: “Murder your thirst”
Rationale
Drinking water out of cans is more badass than drinking from plastic bottles
Problem: Purchasing Single-Use Plastic Bottles Has Been The Norm For Decades
54.9 million plastic bottles are used each hour globally
Over one million animals die annually due to plastic debris in the ocean
Currently, more consumers purchase more water in plastic bottles than metal cans
Insight Statement
Consumers purchase eco-friendly products because they feel their choice makes them a better or more moral person
Consumers view themselves in a more positive light when they engage in environmentally conscious behavior
After engaging in “good” behaviors, individuals view themselves as a moral person, resulting in the conclusion that they are a good person
Supporting Research
“Our findings suggest that engagement in environmentally-friendly behavior indeed is related to how people see themselves: the more environmentally-friendly their behavior, the more participants saw themselves as environmentally-friendly”
- Study conducted by: Department of Psychology, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands, Department of Marketing, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
“Results suggest that purchasing environmentally-friendly products is positively related to people's perception of themselves as environmentally friendly”
- Leonie A. Venhoeven, Jan Willem Bolderdijk, and Linda Steg
The study measured that those who thought of themselves as environmentally conscious had purchased an average of 4.84 environmentally friendly products. Those who did not view themselves as environmentally conscious had only purchased an average of 3.99 environmentally friendly products
The Big Idea
Drinking canned water should be popularized amongst Generation Z and Millennials in order to save the planet since cans are more sustainable
According to Alumni Association, aluminum cans are made up of approximately 73% recyclable material that can be infinitely repurposed
Strategy
Champion the movement for a healthier planet through the dismissal of single-use plastic water bottles using condolence cards, inspiring Generation Z and Millennials to drink water out of metal cans instead
It is time to mourn the bottles we have wasted!
Out of Home
Inspired by the somber aesthetic and language of condolence cards, we created advertisements that brought attention to the plastic pollution crisis and the existence of a sustainable solution using satire
OOH advertisements would be placed in public transit locations
In-Store Experience
We created an experience to incentivize the target audience to make the switch to drinking canned water by trading in single-use plastic bottles for a reward. Those who wish to take part in the experience can visit any Whole Foods location and use one of the machines. Whole Foods is the perfect partner since they are one of the leaders in the effort to create more sustainable business practices and products.
