For decades, energy drink advertising has promised superhuman performance. You can jump higher, run faster, maybe even grow wings. Liquid Death looked at that familiar formula and decided to ask a different question: what if an energy drink simply bought you some really good chicken wings?
That idea powers LD Energy Gets You Chicken Wings, the latest campaign promoting Liquid Death’s new Sparkling Energy line. Created by the brand’s in-house LD Creative Team and directed by Vice President of Creative Andy Pearson, the campaign spoofs one of advertising’s most recognizable taglines while introducing a product that deliberately refuses to play the “extreme energy” game.
Turning a Category Cliché Upside Down
The commercial opens exactly as you’d expect. A man climbs onto a rooftop, seemingly inspired by decades of energy drink mythology, and leaps into the air expecting the impossible.
Instead, gravity wins.
The payoff comes later, when the unfortunate dreamer appears wrapped in a full-body cast, happily enjoying chicken wings purchased through the campaign’s daily giveaway. Every purchase of Liquid Death Sparkling Energy enters consumers for a chance to win a $20 DoorDash gift card, proving the brand can’t make you fly—but it can at least buy dinner.
It’s an absurd punchline, but one rooted in a surprisingly smart positioning strategy.
Winning by Not Playing the Same Game
As Andy Pearson explained, most energy drinks market themselves to extreme athletes. Liquid Death chose another lane entirely. With a moderate caffeine level and zero sugar, Sparkling Energy isn’t pretending to transform anyone into a superhero. Instead, it leans into self-awareness, poking fun at category conventions while embracing its own identity.
The result is classic Liquid Death: irreverent, memorable, and refreshingly honest. In a category obsessed with giving consumers wings, the brand proves that sometimes a bucket of chicken is a much funnier reward.
Gravity remains undefeated. Marketing, however, put up a good fight. — Julian Vega
