Global – Canned water brand Liquid Death has released a new, humorous advert addressing the global plastic pollution issue. Starring US actor and comedian Whitney Cummings, who plays a cosmetic surgery saleswoman, the ad suggests that rather than ending up in landfill and oceans, the best place for plastic is inside our bodies.
Created by creative agency Party Land, the ad is a no-holds-barred video in which the sound of squeezing plastic is heard over images of a man with butt implants followed by an uneasy sight of plastic bottles being surgically forced into a human body. The ad is formatted like surgical infomercials and even includes a disclaimer instructing people to ‘consult your doctor before surgically implanting plastic inside you’.
Our upcoming microtrend analysing the increasing use of subversive humour and tactics in climate-focused media examines campaigns like this one by Liquid Death, which challenge expectations around often doom-laden climate communication of the kind typified by the now iconic image of a starving polar bear floating on thin, broken ice. Breaking The Paralysis Paradox around climate regeneration has taken on an uneasy black humour directed at human inaction – as opposed to damaged nature.
Strategic opportunity
Overcoming greenwashing and eco-fatigue now requires a rethink. How can you use black humour and irony – not blame – to challenge consumers’ paralysis on climate issues?