Red Bull is a brand of
energy drinks of
Austrian
Austrian may refer to:
* Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent
** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen, see Austrian nationality law
* Austrian German dialect
* Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ...
company
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH () is an Austrian private company known for its range of energy drinks of the same name. It is also known for its sponsorship of a range of sporting events and teams. The headquarters of Red Bull GmbH are located in Fuschl am S ...
. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide, including 9.8 billion in 2021.
Originally available only in a single nondescript flavor sold in a tall and slim silver-blue can, called Red Bull Energy Drink, numerous
variants of the drink were added over the course of time. Its slogan, "Red Bull Gives You Wings", is one of the most popular and memorable
advertising slogans in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country Continental United States, primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., ...
. Rather than following a traditional marketing approach, Red Bull has generated awareness and created a "brand myth" through proprietary
extreme sport event series such as
Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series,
Red Bull Air Race
The World Championship Air Race is a series of air races sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Originally established in 2003 as the Red Bull Air Race, and created by Red Bull GmbH, the event involves competitors navigating a c ...
,
Red Bull Crashed Ice
Crashed Ice (full official name: ''Red Bull Crashed Ice'') is a world tour in the winter sport, winter extreme sport, extreme sporting event, ''ice cross downhill'' (or downhill ice cross), which involves downhill Ice skating, skating in an urba ...
and standout stunts such as the
Stratos space diving project. In addition to sport series, its marketing includes multiple
sports team
A sports team is a group of individuals who play sports ( sports player), usually team sports, on the same team. The number of players in the group depends on type of the sports requirements.
Historically, sports teams and the people who pl ...
ownerships;
celebrity endorsements; and music, through its
Red Bull Records
Red Bull Records is a global record label headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It is a subsidiary of the energy drink company Red Bull GmbH and has offices in Los Angeles, London, and New York. Since its inception Red Bull Records has been h ...
label.
[101013 NYPost.com]
Red Bull traces its origins to a similar drink called
Krating Daeng, which was introduced in 1976 in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...
by the pharmacist
Chaleo Yoovidhya. While doing business in Thailand,
Dietrich Mateschitz purchased a can of Krating Daeng and claimed it cured his
jet lag. Mateschitz sought to create a partnership with Yoovidhya and formulated a product that would suit the tastes of Westerners, such as carbonating the product. In 1984 the two founded Red Bull GmbH in
Fuschl am See,
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
, Austria. When branding their new product Mateschitz referenced Krating Daeng's name as in
Thai, ''daeng'' means red, and a ''
krating'' (known in English as a gaur or Indian bison) is a large species of wild
bovine native to the
Indian subcontinent
The Indian subcontinent is a physiographical region in Southern Asia. It is situated on the Indian Plate, projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas. Geopolitically, it includes the countries of Bangladesh, Bhutan, In ...
. In 1987, the company sold its first can of Red Bull in Austria. In 1996 Red Bull began operation in the United States and has seen steady growth ever since. Both Red Bull and Kraeting Daeng use the same red bull on yellow sun logo while continuing to market their drinks separately in the Thai and Western markets.
History
In 1976,
Chaleo Yoovidhya introduced a drink called
Krating Daeng in Thailand, which means "red
gaur" in English. It was popular among Thai truck drivers and labourers. While working for German manufacturer
Blendax
Blendax GmbH, founded in 1932 in Mainz, was a German manufacturer of personal hygiene products and toothpaste between 1936 and 2002. With an annual production of 43 million tubes of toothpaste, it was at one time Europe's largest toothpaste produc ...
(later acquired by
Procter & Gamble
The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) is an American multinational consumer goods corporation headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, founded in 1837 by William Procter and James Gamble. It specializes in a wide range of personal health/consumer he ...
) in 1982,
Dietrich Mateschitz travelled to Thailand and met Chaleo, owner of T.C. Pharmaceutical. During his visit, Mateschitz discovered that Krating Daeng helped cure his
jet lag. In 1984, Mateschitz co-founded
Red Bull GmbH
Red Bull GmbH () is an Austrian private company known for its range of energy drinks of the same name. It is also known for its sponsorship of a range of sporting events and teams. The headquarters of Red Bull GmbH are located in Fuschl am S ...
with Yoovidhya and turned it into an international brand. Each partner invested US$500,000 of savings to fund the company. Yoovidhya and Mateschitz each held a 49 percent share of the new company. They gave the remaining two percent to Yoovidhya's son,
Chalerm, but it was agreed that Mateschitz would run the company.
The product was first launched in Austria on 1 April 1987.
In Thailand, energy drinks are most popular with
blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
s. Red Bull re-positioned the drink as a trendy, upscale drink, first introducing it at Austrian
ski resort
A ski resort is a resort developed for skiing, snowboarding, and other winter sports. In Europe, most ski resorts are towns or villages in or adjacent to a ski area – a mountainous area with pistes (ski trails) and a ski lift system. In Nort ...
s.
Pricing was a key differentiator, with Red Bull positioned as a
premium
Premium may refer to:
Marketing
* Premium (marketing), a promotional item that can be received for a small fee when redeeming proofs of purchase that come with or on retail products
* Premium segment, high-price brands or services in marketing, ...
drink and Krating Daeng as a lower cost item. In many countries, both drinks are available, dominating both ends of the price spectrum.
The flavouring used for Red Bull is still produced in
Bangkok
Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...
and exported worldwide.
During the 1990s, the product expanded into Hungary, Slovenia, Germany, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
It entered Germany and the UK in 1994, the United States (via California) in 1997 and the Middle East in 2000.
In 2008, ''
Forbes
''Forbes'' () is an American business magazine owned by Integrated Whale Media Investments and the Forbes family. Published eight times a year, it features articles on finance, industry, investing, and marketing topics. ''Forbes'' also r ...
'' magazine listed both Chaleo and Mateschitz as the 250th richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of US$4 billion.
Mateschitz died on 22 October 2022 aged 78, following a long illness.
Red Bull GmbH is headquartered in
Fuschl am See, an Austrian village of about 1,500 inhabitants near
Salzburg
Salzburg (, ; literally "Salt-Castle"; bar, Soizbuag, label=Austro-Bavarian) is the fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020, it had a population of 156,872.
The town is on the site of the Roman settlement of ''Iuvavum''. Salzburg was founded ...
. The company is 51 per cent controlled by the Yoovidhya family who, for technical reasons, owns the trademark in Europe and the US.
Variants
Over the years, Red Bull has offered many variations of its drink, all based on the same formula but differing in taste and colour.
Red Bull began offering variations on its drinks in 2003 with a sugar-free version of the drink with a distinct flavor from the original, called Red Bull Sugarfree.
In 2012, Red Bull released Red Bull Total Zero, a variant without calories. In 2018, the company released Red Bull Zero, a different sugar-free formulation designed to taste more like the original flavor.
In 2009, Red Bull unveiled a highly concentrated variant of its drink called Red Bull
Energy Shot.
It comes in 2 oz (60 ml) cans.
The company began expanding its flavor offerings in 2013 with the launch of Red Bull Editions. Initially available in cranberry, lime, and blueberry,
the Editions line has grown to include a variety of flavours, including some available only during specific seasons or in certain regions.
Other products
Red Bull released a
cola, called
Simply Cola
Red Bull Simply Cola (previously branded as Red Bull Cola) is a beverage from Red Bull GmbH, makers of the energy drink Red Bull. The cola, which contains natural flavouring and caffeine, was introduced in 2008 in several countries.
Ingredie ...
, in 2008. A new version of the cola was released in 2019, as part of Red Bull's Organics line.
In 2018, the company launched Organics by Red Bull, a line of
organic
Organic may refer to:
* Organic, of or relating to an organism, a living entity
* Organic, of or relating to an anatomical organ
Chemistry
* Organic matter, matter that has come from a once-living organism, is capable of decay or is the product ...
sodas with four flavours; bitter lemon, ginger ale, tonic water, and a new version of Red Bull Simply Cola.
Ingredients
Depending on the country, Red Bull contains different amounts of
caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class. It is mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally as a Nootropic, cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional perfor ...
,
taurine,
B vitamins (B2, B3, B5, B6, B12) and
simple sugars (
sucrose
Sucrose, a disaccharide, is a sugar composed of glucose and fructose subunits. It is produced naturally in plants and is the main constituent of white sugar. It has the molecular formula .
For human consumption, sucrose is extracted and refine ...
and
glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, u ...
) in a
buffer solution of
carbonated water
Carbonated water (also known as soda water, sparkling water, fizzy water, club soda, water with gas, in many places as mineral water, or especially in the United States as seltzer or seltzer water) is water containing dissolved carbon dioxide gas, ...
,
baking soda and
magnesium carbonate
Magnesium carbonate, (archaic name magnesia alba), is an inorganic salt that is a colourless or white solid. Several hydrated and basic forms of magnesium carbonate also exist as minerals.
Forms
The most common magnesium carbonate forms are ...
(substituted in some flavours with a
trisodium citrate
Trisodium citrate has the chemical formula of Na3C6H5O7. It is sometimes referred to simply as "sodium citrate", though sodium citrate can refer to any of the three sodium salts of citric acid. It possesses a saline, mildly tart flavor, and is a ...
/
citric acid
Citric acid is an organic compound with the chemical formula HOC(CO2H)(CH2CO2H)2. It is a colorless weak organic acid. It occurs naturally in citrus fruits. In biochemistry, it is an intermediate in the citric acid cycle, which occurs in ...
buffer, each solution providing
electrolyte
An electrolyte is a medium containing ions that is electrically conducting through the movement of those ions, but not conducting electrons. This includes most soluble salts, acids, and bases dissolved in a polar solvent, such as water. Upon ...
s). To produce Red Bull Sugarfree, sugars sucrose and glucose have been replaced by artificial
sweeteners,
acesulfame K and
aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial non- saccharide sweetener 200 times sweeter than sucrose and is commonly used as a sugar substitute in foods and beverages. It is a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide with the trade na ...
or
sucralose
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener and sugar substitute. The majority of ingested sucralose is not broken down by the body, so it is noncaloric. In the European Union, it is also known under the E number E955. It is produced by chlorination ...
.
Previous formulations of Red Bull contained 0.24%
glucuronolactone
Glucuronolactone is a naturally occurring substance that is an important structural component of nearly all connective tissues. It is sometimes used in energy drinks,. Unfounded claims that glucuronolactone can be used to reduce "brain fog" a ...
(600 mg of glucuronolactone in a 250 ml can), but this ingredient was removed.
Health effects
Claims about the drink's effects and performance have been challenged on various occasions, with the UK's
Advertising Standards Authority imposing advertising restrictions in 2001 in response to complaints recorded as early as 1997.
Energy drinks have the effects that caffeine and sugar provide, but experts still argue about the possible effects of the other ingredients.
Most of the effects of energy drinks on cognitive performance, such as increased attention and reaction speed, are primarily due to the presence of
caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class. It is mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally as a Nootropic, cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional perfor ...
.
There is evidence that energy drinks can increase mental
and athletic performance. A study funded by Red Bull GmbH, which did not include a caffeine-only control group, found that performance during prolonged driving is increased after consumption of Red Bull.
Other tests for physical performance showed results such as increased endurance and power. Red Bull energy drink increased upper body muscle endurance during repeated
Wingate test The ergonometer test (also known as the ''ergonometer Anaerobic Test (WAnT)'') is an anaerobic exercise test, most often performed on a stationary bicycle, that measures peak anaerobic power and anaerobic capacity.
The test, which can also be perfo ...
s in young healthy adults. Excessive or repeated consumption of energy drinks can lead to cardiac and psychiatric conditions.
The
European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) concluded that exposure to
taurine and glucuronolactone at the levels presently used in energy drinks is not a safety concern.
In a separate analysis, they also concluded that there is insufficient evidence to support a number of commercial health claims about taurine.
A review published in 2008 found no documented reports of negative or positive health effects associated with the amount of taurine used in energy drinks, including Red Bull.
Caffeine content
The
caffeine
Caffeine is a central nervous system (CNS) stimulant of the methylxanthine chemical classification, class. It is mainly recreational drug use, used recreationally as a Nootropic, cognitive enhancer, increasing alertness and attentional perfor ...
content of a single 250ml can of Red Bull is approximately 40–80 mg250 ml (15–32 mg100 ml).
The caffeine level in Red Bull varies depending on country, as some countries have legal restrictions on how much caffeine is allowed in drinks. As is the case with other caffeinated beverages, Red Bull drinkers may experience
adverse effects as a result of overuse. Excessive consumption may induce mild to moderate euphoria primarily caused by stimulant properties of caffeine and may also induce agitation, anxiety, irritability and insomnia.
The general population of healthy adults is not at risk for potential adverse effects from caffeine if they limit their consumption to 400 mg per day, which is the equivalent of 5 standard cans, with one can being 250 ml in volume. Consumption of a single energy drink will not lead to excessive caffeine intake.
Adverse effects associated with caffeine consumption in amounts greater than 400 mg include nervousness, irritability, sleeplessness, increased urination, abnormal heart rhythms (
arrhythmia
Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adult ...
), and
dyspepsia. Consumption also has been known to cause
pupil dilation
Pupillary response is a physiological response that varies the size of the pupil, via the optic and oculomotor cranial nerve.
A constriction response (miosis), is the narrowing of the pupil, which may be caused by scleral buckles or drugs such ...
when taken with certain antidepressants or
SSRIs.
Caffeine dosage is not required to be on the product label for food in the United States, unlike drugs, but some advocates are urging the
Food and Drug Administration
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a federal agency of the Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is responsible for protecting and promoting public health through the control and supervision of food ...
(FDA) to change this practice. (Red Bull voluntarily lists the caffeine content in each can along with the ingredient list.)
Market approval and legal status
Authorities in France, Denmark, and Norway initially kept Red Bull from being sold domestically.
However, , it is on sale in all 27
member states of the European Union and in 171 countries around the world.
The French food safety agency was concerned about
taurine. A Red Bull drink that did not contain taurine was introduced. The French refusal of market approval was challenged by the European Commission, and partially upheld by the
European Court of Justice
The European Court of Justice (ECJ, french: Cour de Justice européenne), formally just the Court of Justice, is the supreme court of the European Union in matters of European Union law. As a part of the Court of Justice of the European U ...
in 2004.
The French food safety agency relented in 2008, because it was unable to prove a definite health risk, taurine-related or not.
Litigation
In 2013, Red Bull told the Redwell Brewery, a
Norfolk
Norfolk () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in East Anglia in England. It borders Lincolnshire to the north-west, Cambridgeshire to the west and south-west, and Suffolk to the south. Its northern and eastern boundaries are the Nor ...
micro brewery
Craft beer is a beer that has been made by craft breweries. They produce smaller amounts of beer, typically less than large breweries, and are often independently owned. Such breweries are generally perceived and marketed as having an emphasis o ...
, to change its name or face legal action, because it sounded too similar to Red Bull. The eight-man brewery in
Norwich
Norwich () is a cathedral city and district of Norfolk, England, of which it is the county town. Norwich is by the River Wensum, about north-east of London, north of Ipswich and east of Peterborough. As the seat of the Episcopal see, See of ...
was told its name could "confuse" customers and "tarnish" its trademark. The two companies reached a settlement permitting Redwell to continue using its name.
In 2014, Red Bull entered into a US$13 million settlement to resolve two consumer class action lawsuits in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York. Named as plaintiffs were Benjamin Careathers, David Wolf, and Miguel Almarez who had sued the company claiming breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment, alleging that Red Bull falsely asserted performance-enhancing benefits from the drink's ingredients that were unsubstantiated by scientific studies.
On 1 May 2015 the Court approved the settlement, giving customers who had submitted claims the opportunity to receive a US$10 cash reimbursement or US$15 in Red Bull products within 150 days of affirmance on any appeal. Contrary to reports from some news outlets, the plaintiffs had not alleged that the drink did not give consumers actual wings.
Advertising
Since 1997, Red Bull has been making commercials bearing its slogan "Red Bull gives you wings." Commercials usually were crudely animated and featured characters with constant squints.
Red Bull's international marketing campaign is largely linked to
extreme sports
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...
. These range from
motorcycle racing, such as
MotoGP
Grand Prix motorcycle racing is the premier class of motorcycle road racing events held on road circuits sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme (FIM). Independent motorcycle racing events have been held since the start ...
,
Dakar Rally,
motorcycle speedway
Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that use only ...
,
mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, usually using specially designed mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and pe ...
,
aerobatics,
BMX
BMX, an abbreviation for bicycle motocross or bike motocross, is a cycle sport performed on BMX bikes, either in competitive BMX racing or freestyle BMX, or else in general street or off-road recreation.
History
BMX began during the earl ...
,
motocross,
windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...
,
snowboarding
Snowboarding is a recreational and competitive activity that involves descending a snow-covered surface while standing on a snowboard that is almost always attached to a rider's feet. It features in the Winter Olympic Games and Winter Paralympic ...
,
skateboarding,
kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits faci ...
,
rowing,
wakeboarding, cliff-diving,
parkour
Parkour () is an athletic training discipline or sport in which practitioners (called ''traceurs'') attempt to get from point A to point B in the fastest and most efficient way possible, without assisting equipment and often while performing ...
,
surfing
Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitable ...
, skating, freestyle motocross,
rallycross,
Formula 1 racing,
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, LLC (NASCAR) is an American auto racing sanctioning and operating company that is best known for stock car racing. The privately owned company was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1948, and ...
racing, to
breakdancing. Red Bull uses
music
Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...
and
video games
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This feedbac ...
, and has enlisted celebrities, such as
Eminem (sponsoring the Red Bull "EmSee Battle Rap championships"). It hosts events like art shows and the "
Red Bull Flugtag" (German for "flight day" or "flying day").
Red Bull owns football teams, with clubs in Austria, Germany,
the United States,
and Brazil featuring the Red Bull trademark in their names. By associating the drink's image with these activities, the company seeks to promote a "cool" public image and raise brand power. The energy drink has created a market for over 150 related types of products.
In the
PlayStation 3
The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. The successor to the PlayStation 2, it is part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. It was first released on Novemb ...
's social gaming platform,
PlayStation Home, Red Bull developed its own
in-game island, specifically advertising its energy drink and the
Red Bull Air Race
The World Championship Air Race is a series of air races sanctioned by the World Air Sports Federation (FAI). Originally established in 2003 as the Red Bull Air Race, and created by Red Bull GmbH, the event involves competitors navigating a c ...
event (for which the space is named) released in January 2009. In late November 2009, Red Bull produced two new spaces, the
Red Bull Illume
Red Bull Illume is an international photography contest for adventure and Extreme sport, action sports photography. It showcases creative and captivating photography and aims to bring the public closer to the world of adventure and action sports. ...
space, and the Red Bull Beach space featuring the Red Bull Flugtag, both released on the same day. In January 2012, Red Bull released its first personal space called the "Red Bull House of Skate" featuring an indoor skate park.
In 2010, the company enlisted Adrian Newey to design a prototype racing car, the
Red Bull X2010, for the videogame ''
Gran Turismo 5''.
In 2022, Red Bull announced a full-on production of a hypercar called RB17, also designed by Newey.
Red Bull Arts
Red Bull Arts is an art
fellowship
A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context.
In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements.
Within the context of higher educatio ...
program launched by Red Bull in 2013 under the name Red Bull House of Arts.
The program has multiple locations, including Detroit, Michigan; São Paulo, Brazil; and formerly New York City.
The program typically consists of a three-month period during which six to eight participants will create new artwork to be displayed at a final exhibition.
During the fellowship, artists receive unlimited access to the galleries and a stipend for art supplies. Some of the artwork has been used in Red Bull advertising campaigns.
Sports and esports sponsorships
Red Bull has used sports sponsorships as an advertising vehicle for most of its existence. The company first started sponsoring athletes in 1989, initially focusing on
Formula One
Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...
racing and
extreme sports
Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extreme tourism overl ...
such as
windsurfing
Windsurfing is a wind propelled water sport that is a combination of sailing and surfing. It is also referred to as "sailboarding" and "boardsailing", and emerged in the late 1960s from the aerospace and surf culture of California. Windsurfing ga ...
and
hang gliding, and later growing to include more mainstream sports such as
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
and
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
.
As of 2016, the company sponsored more than 750 individual athletes and more than a dozen teams in various disciplines, including
motorsports
Motorsport, motorsports or motor sport is a global term used to encompass the group of competitive sporting events which primarily involve the use of motorized vehicles. The terminology can also be used to describe forms of competition of tw ...
, soccer, and
esports
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional sports, professional players, individually or as ...
.
Athlete sponsorships
Austrian Formula One driver
Gerhard Berger was the first athlete to be sponsored by Red Bull in 1989.
Many of the company's early sponsorships were in lesser-known or extreme sports, including Olympic
rower Xeno Müller
Xeno Müller (born 7 August 1972) is a Swiss rower and Olympic gold medallist.
Early career and university
His first international appearance was at the 1990 World Rowing Junior Championships – winning bronze in his single scull (1x).
He f ...
, who won a gold medal at the
1996 Atlanta Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...
in the
single scull race and
BASE jumpers Frank "Gambler" Gambalie, Miles Dashier, and
Shane McConkey
Shane McConkey (December 30, 1969 – March 26, 2009) was a professional skier and BASE jumper. He was born in Vancouver, British Columbia and eventually based himself in Olympic Valley, California. Due to an itinerant childhood, he never ident ...
.
In the 2010s, Red Bull began expanding its athlete base to include athletes from more mainstream sports, including Austrian tennis player
Dominic Thiem,
Brazilian skateboarder
Letícia Bufoni,
American skier
Lindsey Vonn,
and American
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (A ...
player
Kris Bryant.
The company also started sponsoring video game players and
esports
Esports, short for electronic sports, is a form of competition using video games. Esports often takes the form of organized, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional sports, professional players, individually or as ...
athletes, including American ''
Fortnite'' player
Richard "Ninja" Blevins,
Spanish ''
League of Legends'' player
Enrique Cedeño "xPeke" Martinez,
and Swedish ''
Super Smash Bros.'' player
William "Leffen" Hjelte.
Team ownership and sponsorships
The first team sponsored by Red Bull was
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an ice skating rink with lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. In ice hockey, two opposing teams use ice ...
's
EC Salzburg
EC Red Bull Salzburg is a professional ice hockey team based in Salzburg, Austria, that currently plays in the ICE Hockey League. The club play their home games at the Eisarena Salzburg.
History
The history of ice hockey in Salzburg at the high ...
during the
1987–88 season.
Red Bull acquired the club outright in 2000.
Since 2014, Salzburg has also hosted the company's joint ice hockey and soccer academy. Red Bull became the title sponsor of
DEL team
EHC München in 2012, and took full ownership the following year. It also financed the team's new
arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...
,
SAP Garden
SAP Garden is a planned 11,500-seat indoor arena, to be built in Olympiapark, Munich. It will not be completed until spring 2024 at the earliest. The site will be built at the location of the former Radstadion which was demolished in 2015. It wi ...
.
In 1995, Red Bull sponsored its first motorsports team, the Swiss Formula One team
Sauber and in 1999 started sponsoring the
Flying Bulls, a Czech
aerobatics team.
In the 2000s, the company expanded its sporting team ownership to include several soccer teams, including the
Austrian Bundesliga team SV Austria Salzburg (rebranded as
Red Bull Salzburg), the
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Cana ...
team the New York MetroStars (rebranded as the
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
) in 2006, and the fifth-tier German team SSV Markranstadt (rebranded as
RasenBallsport Leipzig) in 2009, which the company sought to move to the top of the
German Bundesliga
The Bundesliga (; ), sometimes referred to as the Fußball-Bundesliga () or 1. Bundesliga (), is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of the German football league system, the Bundesliga is Germany's primary footb ...
.
RB Leipzig has been divisive and the subject of protests by some fans but has also experienced rapid success, climbing through the German soccer divisions to get a place in the top-flight German Bundesliga and earning berths in the
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competi ...
in
2017-2018 and 2019–2020, the latter trip ending with a semifinal loss to
Paris St. Germain.
The company also sponsors the
Los Angeles Clippers NBA team and Red Bull 3X, a series of men's and women's
3x3 basketball tournaments.
In the 2010s, Red Bull began sponsoring gamers and esports organizations, including
OG,
G2 Esports
G2 Esports (G2) is a European esports organization headquartered in Berlin, Germany, with players competing in '' League of Legends'', '' Valorant'', '' Counter-Strike: Global Offensive'', '' Hearthstone'', ''Rocket League'', ''Rainbow Six ...
and
Cloud9, and founded the
Red Bulls ''League of Legends'' team.
In 2021, Red Bull sponsored
Hoang Anh Gia Lai from
V.League 1
The V.League 1 ( vi, Giải bóng đá vô địch quốc gia, lit=National Football League), also called Night Wolf V.League 1 due to sponsorship reasons, is the top professional football league in Vietnam, controlled by the Vietnam Professio ...
.
*
Red Bull Salzburg
*
FC Liefering
*
Red Bull Bragantino
*
Red Bull Brasil
*
RB Leipzig
*
RB Leipzig II
Association football club RB Leipzig-affiliated teams include a reserve team, women's team, and junior and academy teams.
Reserve team History
The first reserve team was formed out of the second team of SSV Markranstädt. Its inaugural season w ...
*
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
*
Red Bull New York II
*
Hoang Anh Gia Lai
Events
Current and former Red Bull events include
ACF Nationals The Academic Competition Federation (ACF) is an organization, founded as the Academic Competition Foundation in 1991, that runs a national championship for collegiate quiz bowl as well as other tournaments.
History
During the mid-1980s, several sc ...
(2009),
Air Race World Championship (2003–2019),
Argentine motorcycle Grand Prix,
Art of Motion,
BC One,
Big Wave Africa,
Cape Fear,
Cliff Diving World Series,
Crashed Ice,
Dolomitenmann
The Dolomitenmann is an extreme sports relay race held in September in the East Tyrolean, or so-called Dolomite Mountains of Austria, near the city of Lienz. The founder and organiser is Werner Grissmann, a former World Cup skier.
The Dolomit ...
,
Drifting World Championship,
Flugtag,
Frozen Rush,
Indianapolis motorcycle Grand Prix,
King of the Air,
King of the Rock Tournament,
Last Man Standing,
MotoGP Rookies Cup,
Motorcycle Grand Prix of the Americas,
New Year No Limits,
Paper Wings,
Rampage,
Red Bull 400
Red Bull 400 is a world series founded by Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks of Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With 38% market share, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2019. Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 bi ...
,
Red Bull Joyride
Crankworx is a global tour of mountain bike festivals that take place in New Zealand, Austria, and Canada. The final stop of the Crankworx World Tour is a 10 day festival in Whistler, British Columbia celebrating several gravity-fed disciplines wi ...
,
Road Rage
Road rage is aggressive or angry behavior exhibited by motorists. These behaviors include rude and verbal insults, yelling, physical threats or dangerous driving methods targeted at other drivers, pedestrians or cyclists in an effort to intimid ...
,
Romaniacs Hard Enduro Rallye,
Soapbox Race,
Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix,
Stratos
Stratos may refer to:
People As surname
*Andreas Stratos (1905–1981), Greek politician and historian
*Demetrio Stratos (1945–1979), Italian vocalist, multi-instrumentalist, and music researcher
* Nikolaos Stratos (1872–1922), Greek politici ...
,
Street Freestyle World Champions (2019),
Trolley Grand Prix,
Unleashed (2015),
Wings for Life World Run
The Wings for Life World Run is a running competition held on the first weekend of May since 2014 to collect funds for the not-for-profit foundation ''Wings for Life''. The entry fee goes completely to Spinal Cord Research. It became the largest ...
,
X-Alps,
Xcbusa, and
X-Fighters
Red Bull X-Fighters was a freestyle motocross motorbike stunt competition organized by Red Bull from 2001 to 2017. It was the most popular freestyle motocross event in the world, with a 15-year plus history and more than 50 past events on six co ...
.
See also
*
Red Bull Stratos – stratospheric parachute jump 2012
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Austrian brands
Products introduced in 1987
Energy drinks
Austrian cuisine
Soft drinks
Drink brands