Liquid Death’s new flavor is . . . Hot Fudge Sundae?

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Specialty ice cream brand Van Leeuwen has collaborated with a laundry list of brands and artists over the past few years on a variety of ice cream flavors. Kraft Mac N’ Cheese, Hidden Valley Ranch, Uber One, Sabrina Carpenter, and more. But now, Liquid Death is flipping the script.

The cult-favorite water brand is introducing a new, limited-edition sparkling water flavor as Van Leeuwen’s concoction: Hot Fudge Sundae.

This is the first time that Liquid Death has worked with another brand to create a new flavor. But it continues the brand’s passion for elaborate marketing of stunt products. In 2021, it put Tony Hawk’s blood on a branded skateboard. The 2022 Halloween collaboration with Martha Stewart includes a $58 Dismembered Moments candle, shaped like a severed hand holding a can of Liquid Death. And this summer, in a nod to Pepsi’s infamous 1995 debate (and a Netflix documentary about it), the brand is launching a contest for fans to win an actual L39 Aero Jet.

The strategy was an undoubted success, if not impossible. Earlier this year, the company raised a new round of funding that raised its valuation to $1.4 billion.

The Hot Fudge Sundae spot is a direct spoof of beer commercials. But instead of booze, creamy, melted ice cream pours into shot funnels and cans. All “Milk was a bad choice.”

It’s fun, not dry

“We’re all about making healthy drinks more delicious,” Liquid Death vice president of marketing Greg Fass said in a statement. So teaming up with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to create the first chuggable, 20-calorie hot fudge sundae was a perfect pairing.

Of course they want to make it fun, but let’s be clear—this is pure advertising for Liquid’s death culture. The amount of shock, innovation, and a few laughs have always been more important than the hard sell. CEO and founder Mike Cessario told me in Cannes this summer (in the future Fast company video series) that water is only part of the equation. “We are determined to be an entertainment company that makes money from drinks,” said Cessario. “It’s not really any different than Red Bull or Monster. But their special entertainment is action games. Our entertainment is comedy, so we always look at how we can make people laugh?”

The limited edition Hot Fudge Sundae flavor is now available in tallboy eight-pack cans for $13.99 at Amazon, Liquid Death’s TikTok Shop, and Van Leeuwen stores across the US.

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