Liquid I.V. Turns Spider-Man Into Its Latest Cultural Marketing Play

Liquid I.V. is leaning further into entertainment marketing with a new campaign tied to its exclusive functional hydration partnership with Sony Pictures’ Spider-Man: Brand New Day, betting that cultural relevance can help the brand stand out in an increasingly crowded hydration category.

The integrated campaign stars Jacob Batalon reprising his role as Ned Leeds in a commercial that follows him navigating a sweltering day in New York City while Spider-Man is occupied saving the city. Rather than positioning hydration around elite athletic performance, the campaign focuses on helping consumers feel prepared for everyday moments.

Financial terms of the partnership between Liquid I.V. and Sony Pictures were not disclosed. The brand also declined to disclose the campaign’s overall advertising budget.

For Brittany Shaw, vice president of integrated marketing at Liquid I.V., the collaboration reflects the company’s broader entertainment strategy, which prioritizes cultural moments over individual franchises.

“We look for three things,” Shaw said. “First is cultural relevance. Is this a moment that people actually care about and are genuinely excited about? Second is authentic brand fit. Is there a believable role for Liquid I.V. in that story? And third is whether we can build something that lives across the entire consumer journey instead of a single activation.”

That philosophy has shaped a campaign extending well beyond a traditional commercial. The marketing effort spans national advertising, social media, influencer partnerships, retail, ecommerce, experiential activations, limited edition packaging, and earned media, with each channel reinforcing the same creative message.

The company recently brought the campaign to life through the Liquid I.V. New York City Wall Crawl at Domino Park in Brooklyn, where attendees climbed a Spider-Man inspired wall while celebrating everyday heroes. The activation also supported the company’s impact partners, Direct Relief and World Central Kitchen, with a goal of donating 500,000 Liquid I.V. sticks to frontline responders and communities affected by disasters.

Influencer marketing also plays a central role in the campaign. Liquid I.V. distributed custom themed creator kits featuring limited edition products and campaign merchandise to creators including Jesús Morales, Desi Perkins, Miguel Harichi, Coach Balto, and Mat Arroyave. The company expects the packages to generate organic unboxing and social content that extends the campaign’s reach across creator communities.

Liquid I.V. declined to disclose the financial terms of its agreements with participating influencers.

Rather than relying exclusively on large creators, the brand intentionally built a mix of macro and micro influencers to broaden its reach across different audiences and online communities.

“We really chose an approach that included macro creators for awareness, but also a significant number of micro creators to reach different communities and creator audiences,” Shaw said.

The campaign also reflects how Liquid I.V. evaluates success. Alongside brand awareness, engagement, and sales, the company is watching for signals that consumers, retailers, and creators actively participate with the campaign, viewing that organic involvement as an indicator that the work has become part of broader culture.

Looking ahead, Shaw said entertainment partnerships will remain one component of a wider strategy that also includes sports and music as the company works to make hydration more relevant across everyday life. Some of the different approaches to marketing the brand did include using the 2-minute warning during the Super Bowl, and its summer campaign.

“Our ambition isn’t to become an entertainment brand,” Shaw said. “It’s to become a hydration brand that people think about across more moments in their lives. If we can make hydration feel more relevant, memorable, and connected to everyday life, that’s success.”

The campaign comes as marketers continue to invest in entertainment partnerships that extend beyond traditional sponsorships. According to Deloitte’s 2025 Digital Media Trends report, younger consumers increasingly engage with brands through franchises, creators, and experiential moments rather than conventional advertising, prompting marketers to build integrated campaigns that span social media, live experiences, retail, and creator content instead of relying on a single channel.