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By Monica Sager
Live News Reporter
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Beverage company Liquid Death is making history and giving away a retired fighter jet to one lucky customer. But here's the catch: pilot not included.
The canned water brand announced that customers have the chance to win "an actual jet" called "The Dehydrator" just by purchasing as much Liquid Death as possible.
"This summer, Liquid Death is doing something no other beverage company has done in history: giving away an actual jet," the company announced on social media.
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Customers have to go to a physical store and "buy as much Liquid Death as you can." Every can bought becomes an additional entry, so an 8-pack equals eight entries. There is a maximum of 400 entries per person.
"The Dehydrator," an L-39 Aero Jet, can fly almost 470 mph with nearly 3,800 pounds of thrust, according to the Instagram post. The jet will also come with a "valid and effective FAA special certification of airworthiness."
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To enter, customers can sign up to start a text chain with Liquid Death at VTAGZ: The Ultimate Cash Back Service For In-Store Purchases. A picture of a qualifying physical receipt must be sent to 29036 after registering at liquiddeath.com/jet.
"We named the jet 'The Dehydrator' because with a top speed over 470 mph and nearly 3,800 pounds of thrust, going for a ride in this thing will relieve you of your bodily fluids," Andy Pearson, vice president of creative at Liquid Death, told Newsweek. "But that's why we're also throwing in a year's supply of Liquid Death to help you rehydrate."
Each stick of Death Dust, a powder that mixes with water and contains vitamins and electrolytes, also counts as an entry.
The winner will also receive six months of free hanger space outside of Chicago. The contest also includes a year supply of Liquid Death "to rehydrate after you puke and pee your pants," a Liquid Death flight helmet "to protect your skull while you pull G's" and a cockpit cup holder for extra Liquid Death replenishment.
If someone decides they do not want to own the L-39 Aero Jet, contest entrants have the option to take a cash prize of $250,000 instead. The winner will still receive the helmet and year's supply of Liquid Death.
The contest, which Pearson calls "spot on for the humor and 'never-been-done' aspect" of much of the brand's marketing, runs for anyone over the age of 18 until Sept. 4.
"We've already had tens of thousands of people sign up and we expect that to keep growing over the summer with over 200 million people walking through the doors of our top retailers every week," Pearson said.
'Pepsi, Where's My Jet?'
The Liquid Death announcement is a not-so-subtle jab at Pepsi for its failure to follow through with the same promise of a jet in 1995.
The campaign enticed customers to buy Pepsi products to claim prizes like T-shirts, sunglasses and a Harrier Jet, but the soda company did not follow through and the issue ended up in court. It also sparked the famous Netflix series, "Pepsi, Where's My Jet?"
Liquid Death noted on its contest page that "you won't have to take us to court to get a jet."
"It's 100% a real jet," the Liquid Death video announces. "You might remember a kid back in the '90s who thought he won a jet from a giant soda company but then the soda company said it was all a joke."
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What is Liquid Death
The "funny" beverage company works to make people laugh while getting them to drink healthier beverage options.
"At Liquid Death we sell better-for-you beverages like low-sugar soda, low-sugar iced tea, and mountain spring water," Pearson said. "But we market our healthy beverages in the same fun and humor driven style traditionally used by unhealthy products like beer, energy drinks, and soda."
Pearson said data has shown that people hate 99.9% of marketing. Liquid Death respects that and is aiming to instead entertain its customers.
"We've consistently done this for the last 5 years and the jet giveaway is just our latest rendition of pushing the limits of what's possible for a beverage brand to do," Pearson said.
The canned water company was founded by Mike Cessario to "murder your thirst."
Liquid Death started selling on its website in January 2019, and as of earlier this year the company is valued at $1.4 billion. In a release in April, Liquid Death said it has hit $263 million in global sales and is sold in 113,000 retail outlets throughout the U.S and U.K.
Five years after its inception, Liquid Death now offers 14 flavors. The water is marketed as being sourced from the Australian Alps.
Pearson pointed to a variety of customers, from parents that now have a low-sugar and low-calorie drink for their children instead of soda to adults that love the flavored sparkling option.
"For the rapidly growing population who don't like drinking alcohol, they say our cans are much more fun for them to walk around with at a party, a bar, or a music festival," Pearson said. "And we have others who love Liquid Death because of our mission to help bring death to single-use plastic bottles by using infinitely recyclable aluminum cans and donating a portion of our profits to help fight plastic pollution."
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