Liquid Death: Flavor Concept
Chthonic Tonic is an exploration of contrast—light vs. dark, surface vs. underworld—expressed through a pomegranate-driven sparkling energy concept inspired by Persephone and Hades.
The Goal
I was drawn to Liquid Death for the way it turns something as neutral as water into something taboo, playful, and maybe…a little confrontational.
My goal was to honor the existing brand’s tone of being dark, loose, and punchy by exploring a flavor that alludes to death in an approachable way. Or perhaps, guide folks to better understand that the underworld is less of a boogeyman and more of a complex, liminal space.
“Sweet enough to lure you in, dark enough to keep you there.”
The Process
My existing interest in folklore and mythology shaped the foundation of the concept. I pulled from analog research—books, articles, and existing interpretations of Greek mythology and the underworld—to ground the work in symbolism rather than aesthetic alone (no ChatGPT or generative AI was used in the creating of the themes, flavor concept, or illustration.)
The following is a list, in order, of the the process and tools used to create the campaign assets:
1.) iPhone Notes app + Pinterest collage board to brainstorm and pin down the theme and understand the direction’s aesthetic.
2.) Adobe Illustrator to create the front-facing label and assign the 2 primary colors.
3.) Adobe Photoshop to create a Smart Object aluminum can wrap; can image downloaded from Adobe Stock. Background spliced with two Unsplash images to illustrate the light/dark duality.
4.) Kittl integration with Nano Banana 2 and Seedance 2.0 to generate canonically appropriate “underworld” imagery that places the product in places like the Styx River and Hecate’s cottage.
6.) Procreate app on iPad used for digital illustration; all hand-drawn.
The Palette
Light and dark, vitality and void, a complex duality. Like Hades and Persephone, can’t have one without the other. This flavor explores tart and bright pomegranate notes with rich blackberry undertones––leading the primary colors to be a soft fuchsia and deep wine red.
