Liquid Death and e.l.f. Cosmetics make for a bizarre pairing
We still can’t get our heads around it, but disruptive beverage brand Liquid Death has made another a curveball partnership with affordable beauty powerhouse e.l.f. Cosmetics.
The brands teamed up to launch a macabre makeup drop, 'Lip Embalms' on January 12, with limited-edition lip products, flavoured after Liquid Death’s irreverent drinks like 'Rest in Peach' and 'Severed Lime'.
The move follows its 2024 'Corpse Paint' collaboration (frankly, we’re surprised a second drop was greenlit), blending heavy metal aesthetics with cruelty-free cosmetics in a bid to 'normalise the bizarre'.
The original 'Corpse Paint', a coffin-shaped makeup vault for black-metal-inspired looks, sold out in 45 minutes in March 2024, garnering 12 billion impressions and millions of social views. (Paint us misjudged).
Handled entirely in-house without an external agency or director, the campaigns both credit e.l.f.’s leadership team, including chief marketing officer Kory Marchisotto, chief creative officer Ashley Rosebrook, and chief brand officer Laurie Lam. On the Liquid Death side, VP of creative Andy Pearson and SVP of marketing Dan Murphy drove the creative, with CEO Mike Cessario overseeing the punk-rock ethos.
Marchisotto highlighted the partnership’s focus on self-expression and disruption, noting how the brands’ shared challenger spirit led to unexpected magic. Pearson, meanwhile, emphasised the sequel’s mix of familiarity and surprise to keep fans engaged.
The new launch includes a metal-jingle ad and a Roblox obstacle course game, extending the collab into digital realms.
Our take
The joy of an off-key partnership is in the surprise that it was signed off in the first place. And this one certainly fits the bill.
Compared to Liquid Death’s previous stunts, like the Martha Stewart 'Dismembered Moments' candle, Metallica tie-ups, or the 'Kegs for Pregs' with Kylie Kelce, the e.l.f. collabs amp up cultural relevance by merging hydration with beauty, maximising the power of viral entertainment over all else.
To be fair, e.l.f. has been fairly prolific in its ad creative. The recent effort builds on its edgier adventures like the 2021 Chipotle palette and the 2024 'So Many Dicks' gender parity campaign.
It's also made several forays into Twitch in-stream shopping and nailed a Super Bowl spot with Jennifer Coolidge, playing to its bizarre, fan-driven side.
The success of the Liquid Death and e.l.f. Cosmetics partnership is part, of course, of a growing trend towards shock-value collaborations pivoted around the weird.
This ‘challenger spirit' is as old as time. I recall counting the days to receiving my lurid orange rubber Tango Man through the post back in the 90s. So I’m by no means immune to this marketing category, and long may it live on.
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