Let’s Kill Some Clowns
Image copyright Liquid Death
MaryRuth’s x Liquid Death: The Wildest Wellness Collab You Didn’t Know You Needed
When wellness brand MaryRuth’s joined forces with Liquid Death, no one expected this. What started as a partnership between clean vitamins and canned water from hell turned into one of the most delightfully deranged—and effective—marketing campaigns we’ve seen this year.
Clowns are one of the most common phobias out there, a weirdly universal symbol of discomfort wrapped in face paint and squeaky shoes. Liquid Death tapped into that fear by showing us a woman who gets her Zs by straight-up murdering clowns in her sleep. Yes, that is the visual metaphor for relaxation in this campaign.
And here’s where it gets brilliant: MaryRuth’s, a brand known for wellness, let Liquid Death unleash its signature chaos on their image—and it came out stronger. This was no surface-level brand crossover. It was a strategic leap into a new audience, where the health-conscious and the dark-humor-loving can meet in the middle.
Image copyright Liquid Death
But beyond the creative concept, this campaign is a masterclass in Brand Equity Transfer. MaryRuth’s and Liquid Death both have incredibly loyal, passionate fan bases—but they exist in very different brand universes. MaryRuth’s has built trust around purity, calm, and self-care. Liquid Death, on the other hand, has built its empire on chaos, heavy metal aesthetics, and subverting traditional wellness tropes with unapologetic humor.
By leaning fully into Liquid Death’s famously bold, over-the-top marketing voice, MaryRuth’s took a risk—but one that paid off. Instead of watering down the collaboration to meet in the middle, the brands went all-in on Liquid Death’s tone.
Image copyright Liquid Death
The ad doesn’t just entertain us, it says something loud and clear: Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to look like a green smoothie and soft music. Sometimes it looks like screaming into a pillow and metaphorically offing a clown in your REM cycle.
For MaryRuth’s, this was a shot of adrenaline to their brand DNA. For Liquid Death, another masterclass in blending cultural insight, psychological triggers, and just the right dose of absurdity.
Image copyright Liquid Death
Together, they don’t just sell you a product—they tell you a story. One that cuts through the noise with a chainsaw and sticks to your ribs.
Wellness has never looked this weird. And that’s exactly why it works.
