Liquid Death is in Hot Water

October 23, 2025

From Cold Water to Hot Water

Liquid Death is in hot water right now. The controversy kicked off when podcaster Tim Pool accused Liquid Death of hypocrisy on social media, claiming the brand’s slogan “Death to Plastic” is misleading because their aluminum cans are lined with plastic. They haven’t switched to glass packaging.

Liquid Death responded aggressively in kind, not with a measured statement, but a loaded tweet that read, “There’s only one asshole here, Tim. You decided to take public shit on a company you knew little about in an industry you knew little about.” X (formerly Twitter)

The brand then challenged Pool to video-apology to their staff and promised their investment of $1M if he did, but he refused to back down, prolonging the feud.

Because Liquid Death’s edgy, irreverent brand voice is now under scrutiny in a public backlash. Accusations of greenwashing (promising environmental credentials while allegedly not delivering on them) have weakened the brand’s trust capital, especially since its core message has centered around sustainable packaging and ethical claims.

For marketers, this is how a brand’s tone and positioning can backfire when met with evidence and a loud adversary. Make sure you stick to your word and stay transparent.

AI & Marketing News

Via Hennessey

Hennessy teamed up with LeBron James to launch a bold social campaign titled “The Second Decision.”

It conjured up a storm on Monday across all social platforms with its teaser video that Lebron posted on his personal social with no context given, leading people to believe it was a retirement decision.

However, the campaign revisits James’s infamous 2010 “The Decision” TV special, but this time he’s announcing his continued partnership with the cognac brand, not a sports team change. The agency behind this move: Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam.

Via E.L.F. | Marketing Dive

E.L.F. Cosmetics is officially the first brand to launch a shoppable livestream ad format on Twitch, powered by Amazon Ads’ retail-media data.

Viewers can discover and buy E.L.F. products directly during a live stream on the brand’s Twitch channel, bypassing typical ad interruptions.

B2B brands have been the 1st to implement AI and develop AI content, for creative ideation and market research, some are choosing to cut agency spend in addition due to increased efficiency and cost.

Royghly 15.2% of the 450 B2B marketers responding to Marketing Week’s 2025 State of B2B Marketing survey have reduced agency spend after their increased use of AI across business functions. Only 1.9% of the respondents have upped spend on agencies in response to their increased AI usage.

Brand Feature - Manscaped

Via The Adult Man

Manscaped is shifting gears from a direct-to-consumer groin-care disruptor to a full-fledged male-grooming powerhouse with “Super Bowl-sized brand ambitions.”

According to CMO Marcelo Kertesz, the brand is doubling down on upper-funnel brand building (including a creative review for its first Super Bowl ad) while maintaining the edgy humor that built its name.

Manscaped is also expanding beyond its founding category (groin grooming) into full-body “mancare,” for bigger and better retail footprints (Walmart, Target, CVS, Best Buy), and larger budget channels like out-of-home and audio.

The company believes that relying solely on performance marketing won’t scale it to its next level of growth.

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