Marketing innovation often comes from unexpected places.

In the case of Liquid Death, a brand that began by putting water in a can with punk rock branding, it has now evolved into a formidable force in the better for you beverage industry. What started as an irreverent play on branding has become a major player in healthy, better-for-you drinks, now including sparkling water and iced tea. And with its latest partnership as the official iced tea of the Philadelphia Eagles, the brand is making waves in the sports world.

I recently had the chance to zoom with Liquid Death’s founder and CEO, Mike Cessario, about the Eagles partnership, the brand’s broader marketing strategy, and what the future looks like for a company that thrives on unconventional moves.

Liquid Death’s DNA is built on humor, irreverence, and a knack for cultural disruption. The brand was founded in 2019 on the simple idea that healthy beverages don’t have to be marketed with the same predictable tropes of nature imagery and wellness buzzwords. Instead, Liquid Death took a page from the playbook of beer, junk food, and rock bands—leveraging edgy, comedic marketing to build an intensely loyal following.

That strategy has worked. Liquid Death has expanded beyond its flagship canned water into flavored sparkling water and now iced tea, with its tea lineup already outpacing legacy brands like Pure Leaf on Amazon.