Brand Strategy & Collaboration Proposal: Liquid Death x Vans

OCTOBER 2023 — This essay, completed for my Brands, Organizations & Strategies class at Emerson College, dives into Liquid Death’s viral branding strategy, exploring how irony, shock value, and anti-corporate aesthetics helped a canned water company build a cult following.

To help them reach a broader audience without compromising their identity, I proposed a brand collaboration rooted in their connection to skate culture.

Building on their past skateboard collab with Tony Hawk, I recommended a partnership with Vans to create a limited-edition skate shoe featuring their “Murder Your Thirst” slogan on the laces. The concept draws inspiration from Vans’ earlier collaboration with A Tribe Called Quest, which incorporated song lyrics into the design.