“It’s always a fine line, but one we consider carefully,” Pearson said. “All our favorite comedians and performers are people who push entertainment into new places it’s never been—we’re just trying to do that from the starting point of a brand. It gives us a totally unique palette to paint with and norms to push against.”
If it’s considered borderline offensive in some circles, it could be a bullseye for a young, heavily male target demo, according to Deb Gabor, founder and CEO of consultancy Sol Marketing.
“How far is too far? Whatever it takes for them to get their message across to their ideal customer could be fair game,” Gabor told Adweek. The enema is “funny, it’s gross, and it gets them top of mind, which makes it really good strategic branding.”
Don’t try this at home
To promote the product, Liquid Death shot a black-and-white cinema verity-style video with a skin-baring Barker showing off his copious tattoos and well-known drumming skills.
The mini-movie poses a question: If the product could catapult him into the stratosphere, both personally and professionally, what could it do for the average Joe or Jane?
A blond woman who looks like a suburban soccer mom says she used it, “and now I’m a singer in a death metal band called Festering Corpse Puke.” This is a good thing, from her chipper testimonial. Another character claims the enema helped him get to “the front of a human centipede,” undoubtedly an upgrade.
There’s a disclaimer on the ad saying that the Liquid Death enema is “not intended for use as a real medical device” and “should never be placed in or near your butthole without consulting a doctor first.” That goes double for “your friend’s butthole,” per the spot.
