With the tagline, “Red Bull gives you wings,” the popular energy drink hosts events that underscore its promised capabilities: giving consumers the energy to perform improbable feats.
Owned by Red Bull GMBH, the brand has staged large-scale, buzz-garnering sporting activations—showcasing daredevil athletes—for years, including hosting an air race over New York City waterways and building a 30-foot skateboarding ramp inside an upscale Manhattan lounge. But Red Bull’s most daring promotion, held last year, was different from any other event on Earth.
In October, the brand sponsored Felix Baumgartner—an Austrian who has been named “the fastest man in free fall”—in an unprecedented leap from the Earth’s stratosphere.
Attempting to break the sound barrier without traveling inside an aircraft, Baumgartner began his mission by climbing into a helium balloon in a New Mexico desert, ascending 23 miles into the air. With the nine-minute fall, Baumgartner became the first person ever to break the sound barrier in free fall.
The feat, which saw Red Bull’s logo decorating the equipment, was streamed online and captured more than eight million live views on YouTube.
Additionally, analysis company Taykey reported that Red Bull’s followers on Twitter and Facebook posted updates in real time with the dive. The social media buzz grew silent when Baumgartner jumped, then resumed when he had safely landed. The overall experience created the unusual experience of real-time, virtual suspense that united fans of the brand.
In all key areas—sales, revenues, and operating profit—Red Bull had its strongest figures ever in 2012.
