Liquid Death Partners With the Toxic Avenger for Icky Faux PSA

Giving Big Soda a bloody hard time

Best spokes-mutant ever!

Liquid Death’s (probably NSFW) mock-PSA, created with Cineverse, takes place in a high-school hallway.

We meet none other than the Toxic Avenger (Peter Dinklage), that campy, repulsive anti-hero who’s starring in a new flick soon. Here, he reads some obnoxious jock-types the riot act about sweet colas, positioning LD Sparkling Water as a smart alternative.

TOXIE: I’m arguably the most unhealthy person on the planet. I fell into a vat of toxic waste, and I’ve got a tumor growing out of my forehead.

(He squeezes the growth, and infection flies.)

TEEN LEADER (wiping away slime): Gross!

TOXIE: But listen kids, there’s one thing even I won’t put into my body: Soda. Some of this stuff has an ASS-load of sugar.”

TEEN LEADER: Yeah? So?

TOXIE: So, scientists are linking sugar to diabetes. Which can lead to limb loss.

TEEN LEADER: Limb loss? Yeah, right!

Oh, foolish, foolish freshman. (Probably a 26-year-old actor playing down, but still.) You’re in a Liquid Death commercial. For you this won’t end well…

Take it from Toxie: “The next time you’re reaching for a sugary soda, think about how hard it’d be to do without an arm.”

This works both as a jokey brand promo AND a gross-out PSA. In fact, I’d wager it’s more compelling than most public service fare. It feels true to the LD ethos. We get an entertaining Hollywood tie-ie with a queasy-please-y storyline that feels plugged into the culture. (Note the guys’ bugling tummies from too many syrupy soft drinks. Nice touch.)

As for the requisite BTS anecdote:

“There’s nothing like shooting blood gags on set,” VP of creative Andy Pearson tells Muse. “We were having a little trouble with the arm-rip rig at first. So our director (who’s also our creative director) leaned in and helped pull the arm himself, which resulted in him getting sprayed all over his face with about a liter of fake blood.”

All the Oscar winners start out that way.