Liquid Death received criticism for a controversial ad featuring ‘The Boys’ character, The Deep, played by Chace Crawford. In the ad, The Deep made kids drink sugary water and blew cigarette smoke at them to promote the brand’s flavoured sparkling water. The company issued a public apology and ended its partnership with the character.
The ad showed The Deep teaching kids about the dangers of sugary drinks by making them ingest cups of sugar and blowing cigarette smoke in the classroom. He almost caused a young boy to choke on a glass full of sugar. The superhero also made questionable statements about the effects of sugary drinks on erectile dysfunction.
Liquid Death’s VP of creative, Andy Pearson, apologized for the controversial ad on LinkedIn, stating that it was the second failed attempt with The Deep. Pearson mentioned that the character’s team convinced the company to give him a second chance as a health and wellness ambassador. However, they quickly ended the partnership after the ad received backlash.
Pearson clarified that Liquid Death would never support giving tobacco to kids and mentioned that The Deep was fired from his previous role as chief sustainability associate in 2021. The character had appeared in a public service announcement burning plastic on a beach, promoting the brand’s aluminium cans.
The Boys, a dark satirical superhero series based on a comic book by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, premiered its fourth season on Prime Video. The show parodies the Marvel and DC superhero universes, portraying superheroes as flawed and often corrupt individuals. Characters like Homelander, Queen Maeve, and Black Noir are inspired by iconic superheroes like Superman, Wonder Woman, and Batman.
The character of The Deep in The Boys parodies Aquaman, possessing the ability to communicate with sea creatures and breathe underwater. However, his lack of intelligence and questionable actions make him a subject of mockery on the show.
The controversy surrounding the ad featuring The Deep highlights the challenges of using fictional characters in marketing campaigns and the importance of responsible advertising practices, especially when targeting young audiences. Liquid Death’s decision to end its partnership with the character reflects a commitment to ethical marketing and protecting the well-being of consumers, particularly children.