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In a scene that’s played out a zillion times in the long history of soap commercials, a half-naked male model lathers up in a mildly suggestive but still safe-for-work product demo.
But what if the well-worn trope got a sinister tweak, and the shredded man in the shower was a serial killer trying to erase the evidence of his crimes?
Only Liquid Death would think to ask—and answer—that question.
The canned water brand, well-known over-the-top marketing from its in-house creative team, drops a video today with exactly that scenario, featuring a bloody hatchet, a hockey mask, a swole dude, and a cheesy jingle.
The spot announces the brand’s latest collaboration with Dr. Squatch for a limited-time product called Dirt Murderer, billed as “the first soap made for hard-working psychos.”
According to John Ludeke, vp of marketing for Dr. Squatch, the partners have a “shared passion for doing things differently and a desire to create moments of disruption. “
The cold-process soap, available for a limited time on drsquatch.com, promises to “annihilate stink” via ingredients that include dead sea salt and Liquid Death Mountain Water, scented with eucalyptus, juniper, and cedar wood.
Everything from the promotion to the name to the packaging, which features Liquid Death’s Murder Man mascot, embraces the horror-comedy aesthetic that runs through much of Liquid Death’s marketing.
The new merchandise comes as Liquid Death has amped up its crossover into other consumer packaged goods categories. This year alone has seen collabs with e.l.f. Cosmetics for a Corpse Paint makeup kit and Yeti for a life-sized coffin-shaped cooler.
