Dozens of brands are vying for attention at the Super Bowl. The big names throw millions of dollars at it. Canned water brand, Liquid Death Mountain Water, is using a witch.

The brand is placing a US$50,000 on the underdog team at this year’s Super Bowl and has bought the witch a ticket to the Super Bowl to make sure it wins.

Rigging the Super Bowl (OK, professing to rig the Super Bowl). That’s a stunt sure to gain millions of eyeballs.

In the campaign video, the witch states that it has practised witchcraft for 42 years and can affect the outcome of the game. It is also a keen influencer. It has sold skateboards covered in Tony Hawk’s blood, recorded a punk album featuring all of the hateful things people have said about the brand, and produced its own horror movie, Dead Till Death.

Liquid Death is also a brave advertiser. Its no-holds-barred attitude has made it the #1 water brand on Instagram and TikTok, the brand says, as well as the #7 among all beverage brands. “We like taking a stance that other brands would never touch,” explained Andy Pearson, vice-president of creative at Liquid Death.

Mountain Death’s popularity may also be being helped along by the fact that it merchandises its products in coffins, it promises to “murder your thirst” – and that it has a strong environmental stance. Its rallying cry is “death to plastic.” and 10% of its sales go to charities that tackle plastic pollution and create clean drinking solutions. Liquid Death has also promised to share half of its Super Bowl winnings with those charities.

“We are the underdog of the beverage business so, of course, we are betting on the underdog,” Pearson added.

The Super Bowl attention grab will be used to support three sparkling water flavours that it launched this week – Berry It Alive, Severed Lime and Mango Chainsaw.