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Utah resident Austin Measles jumped from a plane, crash landed at 70 mph, broke 52 bones, nearly died…and all he got was this lousy t-shirt.
That’s the top-line description, Liquid Death style, of an incredible survival story at the center of the brand’s new documentary film, “Hard to Kill.”
The video, which clocks in at just over four minutes, chronicles the tragic skydiving accident that happened in May and Measles’ first words after waking up from a coma: As a self-professed Liquid Death superfan, he name-checked the canned water brand with the punk rock attitude.
By doing so, Measles inadvertently created the design for the merchandise via a scrawled message to his ICU caretakers.
“I’m a very hydrated guy—I’m constantly drinking water,” Measles says in the video. “And I was very thirsty, and I really wanted Liquid Death.”
To his wife, Haylie, his request for his favorite beverage was “a big sign that he was himself,” despite the massive trauma to his head and body, she says in the short film. “He’s always been obsessed.”
Part of the proceeds from t-shirt sales will go to Measles’ medical bills and related expenses, per the brand, which put his doodle on the front and a commemoration of his 52 broken bones on the back. Measles, an adventure sports veteran, says in the video that his track record now consists of “3,000 successful skydives and one unsuccessful skydive.”
Water for DMs
It was Haylie who made the connection between her injured husband and Liquid Death, reaching out to the brand with news of his spectacular headline-grabbing fall. Liquid Death immediately sent cases of water to his family, according to Andy Pearson, the brand’s vice president of creative.
A few months later, a miraculously on-the-mend Measles sent a direct message to the brand as a thanks for the gift. He shared his scribbled note from the hospital, and Liquid Death execs thought it should be turned into artwork for a t-shirt. (The brand has worked with other fans, Pearson said, including a 6-year-old who received the standard adult pay rate for drawing Licwid Deth Tee.)
Pearson’s team considered creating a social post around Measles’ story but instead formed another plan. “We thought, ‘For the price of two plane tickets, why don’t we just fly to Utah and shoot a mini doc on the whole thing?’” Pearson told Adweek. “So we did.”
Tonal shift
The brand sent a camera operator and Johnny Eastlund, the executive producer with Liquid Death’s in-house production arm Death Machine, for a two-day shoot with Measles and his family.
The tone of “Hard to Kill” is slightly different from the brand’s usual provocative fare, though it’s not without its gallows humor. It’s more in line with the recent heartfelt “Not a Waterboy” campaign than with previous stunts involving Steve-O, “witch” doctors and porn stars. But it continues Liquid Death’s stated mission to produce entertainment over traditional marketing.
“I don’t think we really care what it does for us” as an advertising vehicle, Pearson said. “We just wanted to share an amazing story and show Austin some love. After getting to spend some time with him, he really is an incredible dude, and we wish him all the best.”
CREDITS:
Co-founder/CEO: Mike Cessario
Svp of marketing: Dan Murphy
Vp of creative: Andy Pearson
Vp of marketing: Greg Fass
Vp of design: Franke Dresmé
Vp of cultwear: Misha Brunelli
Director, executive producer: Johnny Eastlund
Senior producer: Tatianna Rodriguez
Senior campaign manager: Tia Sherwood
Senior social media manager: Rachael Mumford
Editor: Tyler Beasley
Cinematographer: Jackson Montemayor
Gaffer: Ryann Race
Design director of merch: Adam Hedman
Scribbler: Austin Measles
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