The extension will also serve to test whether Liquid Death’s strong presence in on-premise channels can go beyond water. “I think what makes us successful is taking something that is completely safe and having fun branding it as something extreme where it is very tongue-in-cheek and fun because it’s sort of two different worlds at odds with each other coming together. “When your brand is called Liquid Death, if you were to create an energy drink with 300mg of caffeine, and a kid could drink five in an hour and actually die, it’s not funny,” he said. With just 30 mg of caffeine from black tea, the product allows Liquid Death to dip its toes in the general ‘energy’ space without going full force with a dedicated product, a move the CEO suggested was unlikely. Thanks to its large audience, healthy halo and dearth of recent large-scale innovation, the iced tea category “checked all of our boxes,” said Cessario. The teas are expected to hit shelves this spring and will be available for $2.79 per 19.2 oz can ($17.99 per 8-pack case), with six grams of sugar from agave each. The line was previewed at the National Association of Convenience Stores (NACS) 2022 show in Las Vegas with three aptly named flavors: Rest In Peach, Grim Leafer and Armless Palmer. The first test of the brand’s broader viability is set to begin soon with the introduction of iced teas, Liquid Death’s first non-water product. And for me, outside of our ‘Death to Plastic’ mission, what we’re really trying to do is bring healthy beverages to people who don’t typically drink them.” I think there’s a possibility for Liquid Death to go into multiple healthy beverage categories and sort of be the cool, fun brand. “Healthy beverage categories typically don’t have the most exciting, fun marketing it tends to kind of be all very the same kind of bland. “What we’re seeing is that the brand can be a platform for healthy beverages,” Cessario said. It’s also now seeing its first line extension since the launch with a fourth flavor, Convicted Melon, launching in the near future. The early success of the flavored line, positioned somewhere between a soda and a zero-calorie Sparkling Ice or Spindrift, suggests that consumers are eager to evolve alongside the brand. Beyond the various publicity stunts and provocative ads, the brand has created a connection with its audience that allows its waters to play at retailers as diverse as Whole Foods and Walmart at virtually the same price. To Cessario, that experience has underscored Liquid Death’s true point of differentiation as a beverage maker: bringing otherwise disinterested consumers into the better-for-you space. Retailers that had initially been skeptical on stocking a Liquid Death product that strayed from the brand’s zero-calorie, zero-sugar roots were eventually won over. In brick-and-mortar retail, the flavored line outsold all varieties of Topo Chico in Target and became the #2 best-selling sparkling water at 7-Eleven. Within three months of its introduction, the product had “gone nuclear,” according to Cessario, generating 40% of the brand’s total Amazon revenue without cannibalizing its existing business. If January’s $75 million Series C round was a confirmation of Liquid Death’s growth thus far, October’s round underscores the belief that the brand can go even further, mainly thanks to the performance of its flavored sparkling line released in January.
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