Tony Hawk is synonymous with skateboarding. He’s become a household name even in homes that have never owned a skateboard. He’s attached his name to a giant list of brands over his decades-spanning career, boosting the profiles of everything from Bagel Bites to Mini Coopers.
Now he’s attaching his blood—for real.
The Birdman has become the latest endorser of Liquid Death Mountain Water, and to commemorate the pact, Liquid Death printed 100 skateboards with Hawk’s real blood mixed in with the ink.
https://twitter.com/LiquidDeath/status/1430198278382051338
The boards sold out quickly, to no one’s surprise. Having a skateboard with Hawk’s autograph is already a big deal. But his blood? That’s next level.
We wish we could say this is the first time we’ve seen blood used in a promotional product, but it’s not. Remember when Lil Nas X included some of his blood in his Nike sneakers that turned out to have no affiliation with Nike and were eventually recalled?
This is hot on the heels of Liquid Death’s last promo—a branded mini fridge that the company said is “a lot like a Rolls Royce.”
A lot like a Rolls Royce, but a mini-fridge. Super limited. Most celebrities won’t even be able to get one. But you might. Still a few left at https://t.co/kWNSngGMD0 pic.twitter.com/dZDlDmIkPR
— Liquid Death (@LiquidDeath) August 21, 2021
How many screen printers can say they’ve included a celebrity’s blood in their ink for a promotional product? Probably (hopefully?) not too many.
Tony Hawk has raised skateboarding’s public profile to new heights, and he’s certainly shed his fair share of blood over his years skating. This is just the first time that blood was used for an advertisement.
