Why Liquid Death’s Running Man partnership is Hollywood-level marketing

If you want a masterclass in how challenger brands weaponize entertainment, look at Liquid Death’s involvement in The Running Man remake.

In a landscape where paid reach is getting more expensive every quarter and social buzz burns out in 36 hours, Liquid Death is buying something money normally can’t buy: permanence. Every trailer, every meme, every TikTok reaction video, every future streaming thumbnail carries its branding footprint baked into the story world.

Liquid Death partnered as the official in-film beverage sponsor, integrating its cans directly into key action sequences to feel like part of the story rather than a traditional ad. The brand also released a co-branded 45-second spot featuring actor Colman Domingo and activated social channels with behind-the-scenes content teasing the integration.

Additional activations included limited-edition packaging and merchandise, positioning the product alongside the film’s high-energy, adrenaline-fueled aesthetic to engage both moviegoers and Liquid Death’s core audience.

Most brands still treat film integrations like “add-ons” to a media plan. Liquid Death treats them like real estate. The Running Man universe is a satirical dystopia built around entertainment-as-violence-as-advertising. It’s literally a playground for a brand built on parodying marketing.

By embedding themselves into the film’s world, Liquid Death becomes part of the cultural object itself. In a universe where audiences increasingly ignore ads and binge content ad-free, being inside the content is a cheat code.

This partnership feels inevitable in the best way. The movie leans into the idea of spectacle, satire and society’s obsession with extreme entertainment. Liquid Death’s entire brand is based on exaggerating and mocking consumer culture. They both speak fluent “media chaos,” which makes the integration feel seamless instead of forced.

For the film, Liquid Death brings a built-in online fanbase that behaves like a content army. The brand's audience is hyperactive on TikTok, Reddit and YouTube, which helps amplify early buzz and keep the film in conversation through release weekend and beyond.

For Liquid Death, The Running Man offers a narrative world that amplifies their identity instead of diluting it. The tone matches. The humor matches. The anti-establishment energy matches. You couldn’t engineer a more on-brand sandbox.

Here’s where the math quietly flexes. When you anchor into a wide-audience theatrical release, you essentially buy:

And you get it at a lower effective CPM than a comparable national campaign. Studios do the heavy lifting to promote the film, and the brand rides that wave.

Movies with dystopian or satirical tones have long tails online. The Running Man has a built-in fan base from the Stephen King novella, the Arnold classic and the “gameshow deathmatch” genre that TikTok absolutely loves. Liquid Death will get GIFed, memed, quoted, screen-capped (and ultimately becomes fan art fuel).

For a company built on internet culture, this is rocket fuel.

Legacy brands still debate whether a placement is “on brand.” Challenger brands like Liquid Death see integrations as cultural infrastructure. Entertainment is the last place consumers voluntarily give two uninterrupted hours of attention. Brands that live inside that window win the long game.

DIGITAL‑SPEND SHIFT 📊 Studios cut TV marketing spends for theatrical releases (MediaPost)
A recent report from MediaPost shows that through the first nine months of 2025, U.S. wide‑release studios’ national TV ad spending for films dropped 9% year‑on‑year to about $589.8 million, with 158,960 airings. In parallel, overall in‑season box‑office receipts edged slightly lower. The data underscores a clear strategic pivot: as linear TV airings decline, studios are shifting their budget toward digital, experiential and social routes, a recalibration with serious implications for theatrical marketing planning.

MERCHANDISE STRATEGY 🎁 How limited‑edition film tie‑ins are becoming blockbuster marketers (Good Housekeeping)
Major upcoming releases like Wicked: For Good are launching exclusive merchandise well ahead of premiere: the article highlights a limited‑edition Stanley cup collection releasing on October 26 tied to the film, expected to sell out quickly after viral social traction. By turning everyday consumer products into collectible film‑assets, studios and brands extend the campaign timeline, build hype and create a second revenue stream around the theatrical release.

STUDIO STRATEGY 🎬 Short‑to‑theater windows force marketing to work faster (The Times/UK)
An industry report reveals that the average window between a U.S./UK theatrical release and home‑viewing availability has shortened from around 76 days in 2022 to 52 days in 2024, with some films as low as 39–41 days. This acceleration is forcing studios to compress their marketing timelines, front‑load their campaigns and lean heavily on social and brand‑tie‑in mechanics to hit awareness peaks quickly.