Death, which has traditionally been a taboo topic in social conversation and communication due to the emotional connotations it carries, is experiencing a positive moment in the marketing industry. And in recent weeks various brands have approached her to develop creative concepts or even innovate in products.

Spotify and Liquid Death’s funeral urn

The Spotify audio platform is one of them. It has partnered with the water brand Liquid Death to create “Eternal Playlist Urn”, which it defines as the world’s first wireless speaker designed to carry music “to a place you’ve never been before“, that is, to the afterlife. It is a funeral urn that has a speaker on the lid and Bluetooth technology, which allows you to connect with Spotify and “enjoy your favorite playlist forever“, according to the company in a statement.

The brands present the device as a collector’s item “for those looking to take their love of music to the next level”. Thanks to its minimalist design, it can be used both to supposedly house ashes and to decorate a room. The brands show the product in a digital spot that has been produced internally by Liquid Death, and in which, in a satirical tone, it states that research indicates that keeping the dead happy makes them 47% less likely to return to torment those they know.

In addition, Spotify has created a generator for that playlist for eternity that helps users create a soundtrack that accompanies them in the next world. To shape that playlist, American users will need to go to a specific website and answer a series of questions, such as “What’s your timeless vibe?” or “What’s your favorite ghost sound?” Based on your answers and your listening history on Spotify, you’ll get a custom mix.

This urn-speaker is only available in the United States in limited quantities. The 150 units created of the device can be purchased in the Liquid Death online store for $495

Supreme’s coffin

For its part, the New York brand Supreme has presented its spring/summer collection for this year, and along with new clothing and accessories, it has included a series of objects and products that seek to expand the brand’s presence beyond the limits of fashion. Among them is a boxing ring, an ATM, a chest for work tools, microphones or a bar for exercise.

Also a coffin, which like the articles cited above, would be completely branded. Named the Supreme®/Titan Orion Casket, the casket is made of red metal, with the brand’s huge white logo on the cover, and an interior lined with faux leopard fur.

With these launches, Supreme expands a strategy that it has developed over recent years and which consists of taking everyday objects and applying its logo to them to turn them into essential and collectible objects. It is a formula that was especially effective during its peak popularity, approximately a decade ago, but it has to demonstrate its performance in a context in which the brand has been losing relevance in a market that is increasingly competitive and saturated with communication.

Greenpeace and an activist funeral

Greenpeace UK is also part of this recent wave of marketing initiatives around death. In its latest campaign, titled “We Won’t Rest in Peace” and devised by the Elvis agency, the organization presents death as an act of social and environmental commitment, and encourages citizens to include Greenpeace in their wills as a final gesture of protest and continue protecting the planet even after death.

The organization uses humor and irreverence to lighten the emotional burden of the message, as well as special effects to present animated skulls, worms, and funeral urns as advocates of postmortem activism. With this, Greenpeace breaks the codes assigned to a topic that is usually avoided, to promote participation and commitment, and play it in its favor by donating testimonials.

“Testimonial donations address two of the biggest taboos: money and death”commented Melanie McNeill, Greenpeace Fundraising Director, as reported. The Drum. “Through humor and entertainment, the campaign shows our supporters that a donation to Greenpeace is an act of defiance through which your values ​​will live on long after you die.”.