Tetragrammaton with Rick Rubin Mike Cessario
77 snips
Dec 17, 2025 
Mike Cessario, the founder and CEO of Liquid Death, shares his visionary journey in creating a beverage brand that thrives on irreverent humor and creative marketing. He explains how entertaining advertising makes a brand memorable and distinctive. Mike reveals insights on bold campaigns, like the viral 'sell your soul' stunt, and how Liquid Death leverages social media for growth. He discusses the challenges of scaling production and crafting an engaging brand identity that feels illicit, while also turning negativity into creative content to bolster the brand's appeal.
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Make Ads Entertaining Not Interruptive
- Entertainment-quality advertising makes people remember and prefer a brand over bland ads.
- Mike Cessario says funny marketing gives people real value where typical advertising wastes their time.
Rejected Golf Ad Became A Viral Stunt
- Mike pitched a devil-soul golf ad that clients rejected for being too out there.
- Years later he reused the idea as a viral 'sell your soul' Liquid Death Country Club stunt that got 100,000 signups.
Side Project Turned Canned Water Brand
- Mike started Liquid Death as a side project from agency work after seeing funny marketing succeed for organic products.
- He launched with canned mountain spring water to make a healthy product feel rebellious and fun.