Liquid I.V.’s “Take A Look” — Hydration Hits the Bowl in a Way No One Saw Coming
If there was ever a moment in the Super Bowl ad lineup that left viewers simultaneously confused, amused, and vaguely queasy, it was Liquid I.V.’s Big Game commercial titled “Take A Look”. The brand — making its first-ever national Super Bowl spot — chose not to sell lifestyle or snack culture, but hydration itself… in a way that got the internet talking (for better and worse).
At its core, the spot sets out with a seemingly sensible goal for a wellness brand: remind millions of viewers that dehydration isn’t optional and that Liquid I.V.’s electrolyte drink mix can help people stay well-hydrated on game day and beyond. That aligns neatly with the brand’s broader repositioning this year, where it has leaned into wellness culture and tried to flip hydration from a niche health concern into a central lifestyle habit.
But the creative execution twists that basic premise into something decidedly weird. In the 30-second spot — produced by agency Anomaly — toilets, urinals, and even a portable bathroom sing a cover of Phil Collins’ “Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)” while encouraging viewers to literally check the color of their urine as a gauge of proper hydration. It’s bathroom humor taken to its most surreal: singing porcelain fixtures croon in harmony, urging you to “take a look” at what hydration (or lack thereof) looks like.
Creative Risk vs. Practical Message
Here’s where Liquid I.V.’s strategy becomes fascinating — and controversial. On the surface, the ad achieved what every Big Game campaign hopes for: attention. Social media reactions lit up with disbelief, jokes, and incredulity. Some viewers openly asked what they had just seen, with one commenter online calling it the “weirdest Super Bowl commercial yet.” Others admitted they couldn’t hear that particular Phil Collins song the same way again.
That noise is part of the game. In an advertising environment where millions pay millions of dollars per spot, brands increasingly understand that being talked about can yield more visibility than a technically flawless but forgettable ad. Liquid I.V. embraced that calculus. The metaphor here — using humor to tie bodily signs of hydration to the product — is audacious, if cringe-inducing.
But therein lies the tension: does shock value translate into product recall or purchase intent? An ad so anchored in toilet humor might be unforgettable for its weirdness, but will audiences connect that emotion to hydration science and Liquid I.V.’s benefits? That’s less certain. The spot garnered strong reactions, but many were closer to “What was that?” than “I need hydration solutions now.”
There’s also a deeper brand strategy at work here. Liquid I.V. hasn’t just tossed something bizarre onto the Super Bowl stage; it’s been quietly building momentum all year — from festival sponsorships to product launches and cultural activations around hydration as functional wellness. The commercial is designed less as a standalone pitch and more as the culmination of a larger narrative about wellness being essential. That’s why the marketing team leaned into unusual creative: to carve space for a category (hydration) that doesn’t traditionally command cultural airtime.
Polls, Public Reaction, and the Wrinkle in Reception
The commercial was divisive almost instantly. Some social commentary framed it as “tasteless” or “offensive,” with viewers bristling at both the bathroom imagery and the use of a beloved Phil Collins track in that context. Others admired the ingenuity — after all, it’s not every day a wellness brand gets millions of viewers talking about urine color during the Big Game.
This mix of response highlights a deeper question about modern advertising: Is being weird enough? In a saturated media landscape, brands often equate memorability with outrage or absurdity. But the trade-off can be a dilution of clarity of message. Not everyone who remembers the singing toilets will remember why they were singing — and that’s the gap between buzz and brand lift.
Final Take — A Risk Worth Discussing, Even If Disliked
Liquid I.V.’s “Take A Look” commercial might be one of the most talked-about ads of Super Bowl LX — not for heartwarming storytelling or clever punchlines, but for how bizarrely it pushed the boundaries of what a wellness brand can do on the biggest advertising stage of the year. It reminds us that Super Bowl ads aren’t just selling products; they’re selling talkability — and in that sense, Liquid I.V. succeeded.
But whether that talkability ultimately translates into brand affinity and sales lift is another question entirely — one marketers will be parsing long after the bowls stop being washed and the lyrics fade from memory.
