Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary Black Sabbath frontman, has teamed up with Liquid Death to deliver a crucial message: do not snort Liquid Death’s electrolyte drink mix, Death Dust. This collaboration comes in response to numerous comments on Liquid Death’s Instagram, where users joked about snorting the powdery drink mix. To address these comments, Liquid Death and Osbourne created a humorous yet serious video campaign warning against such misuse.
In the video, Osbourne, known for his wild past and infamous drug stories, emphasizes the importance of using Death Dust as intended. “I love how Liquid Death makes a healthy thing like hydration more fun,” Osbourne states. “Sharon, the family, and I drink Liquid Death all the time, it’s delicious. But seriously, don’t snort or inject anything they make. It’s much better for drinking.”
Death Dust is not a drug but a flavorful electrolyte drink mix packed with essential vitamins and electrolytes. It is designed to be mixed with water, providing a healthy hydration option. The product is available in three delicious flavors: Severed Lime, Mango Chainsaw, and Convicted Melon. For the first time, Liquid Death offers single-flavor packs in addition to variety packs, making it easier for consumers to choose their favorite flavor.
The campaign with Osbourne is part of Liquid Death’s broader effort to promote healthy hydration in a fun and engaging way. The brand has gained significant popularity, becoming the fastest-growing and leading brand in the water, flavored sparkling water, and iced tea categories. Liquid Death recently closed a $67 million financing round from strategic partners and new investors, including top national distributors and notable names in entertainment and sports.
Mike Cessario, founder and CEO of Liquid Death, expressed pride in the brand’s rapid growth and strong consumer demand. “Liquid Death has become the fastest growing and leading brand across the water, flavored sparkling water, and iced tea categories. We continue to see extremely strong consumer and retailer demand and are proud to have raised a strategic, oversubscribed, ‘up’ round to fuel our growth,” Cessario said.
The $1.4 billion valuation of Liquid Death marks a significant increase over previous funding rounds. The company has expanded its distribution network, with new institutional investors such as SuRo Capital and follow-on investors like Live Nation, Science, Inc., and Gray’s Creek Capital Partners. Prominent individual investors include actor Josh Brolin, NFL All-Pro and entrepreneur DeAndre Hopkins, “The Chapelle Show” co-creator Neal Brennan, SEPULTURA’s Derrick Green, and Australian comedian Jim Jefferies.
In 2023, Liquid Death achieved $263 million in retail scanned sales and expanded to 113,000 retail doors across the U.S. and U.K. The company has experienced triple-digit growth for three consecutive years, becoming the fastest-growing top water and top iced tea brand, according to SPINS. Liquid Death’s newest product lines, including iced tea and flavored sparkling water, have seen rapid growth, with the brand becoming the second-largest ready-to-drink tea on Amazon by total sales in just a few months.
The funding from the recent financing round will support product innovation and scaling operations to meet the high retailer demand for Liquid Death’s new flavored sparkling water and iced tea flavors. The brand’s latest product, Death Dust, represents its first core product beyond the ready-to-drink beverage category. Liquid Death also recently auctioned off the side of half a million cases via the viral “Biggest Ad Ever” campaign, with the winning bid going to Coinbase for over $500,000.
Liquid Death’s social media presence is substantial, with 7.9 million followers across TikTok and Instagram, making it the third most-followed beverage brand globally, behind only Red Bull and Monster. This summer, Liquid Death will be prominently featured at music festivals, iconic music and entertainment venues, and bars through its partnership with Live Nation, a longtime investor in the company.
As one of the fastest-growing non-alcoholic beverage brands, Liquid Death uses comedy and entertainment to make health and sustainability more appealing. The brand packages its products in infinitely recyclable tallboy cans, competing with the fun marketing of unhealthy brands across energy drinks, beer, and junk food. A portion of Liquid Death’s proceeds goes to nonprofits fighting plastic pollution and providing clean drinking water to those in need.
In the lighthearted commercial, Osbourne is seen in the back of a UV, pulling up just as two kids are preparing a drink of Death Dust. Reflecting on his drug-taking years, Osbourne assumes they are about to misuse the product and warns them against it, to their confusion. “Take it from me – don’t snort that stuff!” he says. “Whatever you do, don’t try freebasing it… and never ever inject it.” The ad ends just as Osbourne is about to explain what “boofing” a drug involves.
Liquid Death’s campaign with Osbourne serves as a humorous yet important reminder to use their products as intended. “Hey kids, Ozzy knows best,” Liquid Death commented, echoing real health advisories. “Take it from a guy who knows a thing or two about bad decisions: Liquid Death’s more intensely flavored Death Dust hydration powder is much safer when you mix it with water and drink it.”
Source: Billboard, Classic Rock, Ultimate Classic Rock
