If you were watching Super Bowl LIX and suddenly felt like you’d traveled back to 1995, you weren't alone. Between the high-octane plays and the usual celebrity-stuffed promos, a commercial popped up that looked suspiciously like a vintage Budweiser ad. It had the grainy texture, the upbeat "bro-rock" jingle, and a bunch of people doing exactly what HR handbooks tell you not to do: drinking on the clock.
But it wasn't beer. It was water.
The Liquid Death Super Bowl commercial 2025, titled "Safe for Work," was the brand's first-ever national Big Game spot. After years of winning the internet with low-budget stunts and regional buys, they finally dropped $7 million to tell 120 million people that it's okay to crack a cold one during a heart transplant. Sorta.
What Actually Happened in the "Safe for Work" Ad?
The premise was pretty simple but executed with that specific brand of chaos Liquid Death is known for. The whole thing opens with a golden can sweating in a pile of ice. Very classic. Very "Great Taste, Less Filling." Then, a 90s-style jingle kicks in with a chorus that just keeps chanting, "Drink on the job, drink on the job!"
You see a surgeon in scrubs. He’s about to start an operation, but first, he cracks open a tallboy and takes a massive swig. Then the camera cuts to an airplane pilot in the cockpit, a judge on the bench, and a school bus driver—all of them chugging from these cans while looking intensely refreshed.
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The Twist You Probably Saw Coming (But Still Liked)
The "punchline" hits at the end when a text overlay reminds the audience: "Don't be scared. It's just water and iced tea." It's a clever play on the brand's entire existence. Liquid Death basically built a $1.4 billion business by making water look like "degenerate" tallboys. By putting these cans in the hands of professionals who definitely shouldn't be drinking alcohol—like a football referee (which, honestly, explains a lot of bad calls)—they leaned into the absurdity of their own packaging.
The Strategy Behind the $7 Million Gamble
Why did a company that usually prides itself on "anti-advertising" finally buy a national Super Bowl slot? Andy Pearson, the VP of Creative at Liquid Death, basically told ADWEEK that it was about education.
Believe it or not, there are still millions of people who see the "Death" logo and the gothic font and assume it’s a craft brew or a hardcore energy drink. The 2025 spot was designed to bridge that gap. They wanted to reach the "non-believers" who don't spend their lives on TikTok and show them that this is actually a healthy beverage.
- Brand Awareness: They moved from a "cult brand" to a "household name" in 30 seconds.
- Product Diversification: The ad specifically showcased their newer lines, like Iced Tea and Soda-Flavored Sparkling water, not just the mountain water.
- Engagement Metrics: According to the data platform EDO, the ad was 704% more effective than the average Super Bowl spot that year in terms of driving online search and engagement. People were confused, and confusion leads to Googling.
Why Liquid Death Still Feels Different
Most Super Bowl ads in 2025 relied on massive celebrity cameos. We saw David Beckham, Jennifer Coolidge, and even a "Personal Jesus" cover by Johnny Cash for other brands. Liquid Death? They didn't hire a single A-list celebrity.
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The "stars" were the surgeon, the pilot, and the bus driver.
By keeping the production in-house through their creative arm, Death Machine, they kept the soul of the brand intact. It felt like a video your funny friend would send you, not a corporate message approved by seventeen different committees. Dan Murphy, the SVP of Marketing, has often said that "shares" are their North Star. They don't just want you to watch the ad; they want you to text it to your group chat with a "WTF" caption.
The "90s Beer Ad" Nostalgia
The choice to mimic old beer commercials wasn't just for laughs. It was a psychological trick. For Gen X and older Millennials, that specific visual language—the fast cuts, the high-energy jingle, the condensation on the can—is hardwired to mean "refreshment." By hijacking that aesthetic for water, they’re trying to make drinking a healthy beverage feel as "cool" or "rebellious" as cracking a beer used to feel in the 90s.
Was it Worth It?
There’s always a risk when an edgy brand goes mainstream. You worry they'll lose their "cool" factor. However, the Liquid Death Super Bowl commercial 2025 seems to have threaded the needle. It was weird enough to satisfy the long-term fans but clear enough to explain the product to Grandma in the Midwest who was just trying to watch the halftime show.
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Honestly, the biggest win for them wasn't just the 30 seconds on TV. It was the aftermath. The "Safe for Work" campaign triggered a wave of social media content where real people started filming themselves "drinking on the job" with Liquid Death cans, further cementing the brand's place in the cultural zeitgeist.
If you’re looking to replicate this kind of "disruptive" energy in your own branding or just want to understand why your coworkers are suddenly chugging tallboys at 9:00 AM, here are the takeaways:
- Embrace the Misconception: If people think your product is one thing, use that confusion as your hook.
- Vibe over Celebrity: You don't always need a $5 million actor if your concept is strong enough to stand on its own.
- Consistency is King: Even on the world's biggest stage, Liquid Death didn't "clean up" their act. They stayed loud, weird, and slightly uncomfortable.
The next time you see someone in a high-stakes profession cracking a can with a skull on it, maybe don't call the police. They’re probably just staying hydrated.
Check out the official Liquid Death website or their YouTube channel to see the "Safe for Work" spot and the "Death Machine" behind-the-scenes content that dropped right after the game.