Liquid Death parodies the Shake Weight in disturbingly gushing faux workout video

Liquid Death is best known for its edgy, entertaining marketing ploys. But in its latest campaign, the canned water brand styles itself as an all-around fitness drink—not just hydrating consumers at the gym, but serving as an integral component of the workout itself. Hear how Liquid Death pushes creative boundaries at Ad Age’s Business of Brands event on Nov. 8-9 in New York City. More information here. Seemingly parodying the as-seen-on-TV Shake Weight, which went viral after its debut in 2009, the company’s new ad introduces viewers to the Liquid Death Chest Blaster, which “may look just like a can of Liquid Death,” a narrator says, but don’t be fooled—it’s actually a powerful (and somewhat suggestive) piece of exercise equipment. The brand’s Chest Blaster “harnesses the power of hydro-dynamic inertia to sculpt, tone and completely hydrate in a fraction of the time of other devices,” the narrator continues, as bodybuilders are shown mouths agape, dousing themselves with cans of Liquid Death. “Workouts that used to take hours now last only about 20 seconds!” Developed in-house by the company’s creative team, the campaign’s voiceover and visuals—close-up shots of flexing abs and computer overlays that highlight certain muscles—are reminiscent of a home gym infomercial from the early 2000s. However, it’s the subtly suggestive themes in the ad, which officially launches today on YouTube and social media, that may be the most attention-grabbing; it asks viewers “How fast can you blast?” and encourages them to “double blast,” shaking one can in each fist while swiveling your head between them. It wouldn’t be the first time that Liquid Death, which ranked No. 8 on Ad Age’s 2022 Marketers of the Year list, pushed the envelope with raunchy, innuendo-laden advertising, for which it tends to be recognized as an outlier in its category. Just last month, the company partnered with comedian Tom Segura by turning his likeness—or, more specifically, his mouth—into a “glory hole” for recycling empty Liquid Death cans, with Segura serving as the pitchman in the product’s spoof infomercial. The brand then began selling the “Tom Segura Recycling Glory Hole” online for $58 a pop. Earlier this year, the company also teamed up with Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker to release an “Enema of the State” at-home enema kit, which included an enema bulb and can of Liquid Death signed by Barker, retailing for $182. Luckily for Liquid Death’s fitness fanatics, though, there’s no high price point to be found with the Chest Blaster. “This breakthrough in hydro-muscular training can be yours starting at just $2.19 per can,” the narrator says at the end of the spot.

Liquid Death parodies the Shake Weight in disturbingly gushing faux workout video

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