Red Bull
Red Bull is a brand of energy drinks created and owned by the Austrian company Red Bull GmbH. With a market share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020,[8] and the third most valuable soft drink brand, behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi.[9] Sinсe its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide,[10] including over 12 billion in 2023.[11]
This article is about the brand of energy drinks. For its distributor, see Red Bull GmbH. For the drink with the same name in Thai, see Krating Daeng. For other uses, see Red Bull (disambiguation).Type
Austria[2]
1 April 1987
Yellow
Red Bull Sugarfree
Red Bull Total Zero
Red Bull Zero
Red Bull Energy Shot
Red Bull Editions
Originally available only in a single nondescript flavor sold in a tall and slim silver-blue can, called Red Bull Energy Drink, the drink added numerous variants over time. Its slogan, "Red Bull Gives You Wings",[12] is considered one of the most popular and memorable advertising slogans in the world.[13] Rather than following a traditional marketing approach, Red Bull has generated awareness and created a "brand myth"[14][15] through proprietary extreme sport event series such as Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Red Bull Air Race, Red Bull Crashed Ice and standout stunts such as the Stratos space diving project.[16] In addition to sport series, its marketing includes multiple sports team ownerships; celebrity endorsements; and music, through its Red Bull Records label.[17]
Red Bull was derived from a similar drink called Krating Daeng which originated in Thailand and was introduced 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 by carbonating the drink.[18] In 1984, the two founded Red Bull GmbH in Fuschl am See, Salzburg, Austria.[19] When branding their new product, Mateschitz referenced Krating Daeng's name: in Thai, daeng means red, and a krating (known in English as a gaur) is a large species of wild bovine native to the Indian subcontinent. 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.[20] 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.
Regulatory approval and legal status[edit]
Authorities in France, Denmark, and Norway initially did not permit the sale of Red Bull.[78] However, as of 2021, it is on sale in all 27 member states of the European Union and in 171 countries around the world.[79][80]
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 in 2004.[78] The French food safety agency relented in 2008, because it was unable to prove a definite health risk, taurine-related or not.[81]
Litigation[edit]
In 2013, Red Bull told the Redwell Brewery, a Norfolk micro brewery, to change its name or face legal action, because it sounded too similar to Red Bull. The eight-man brewery in Norwich was told its name could "confuse" customers and "tarnish" its trademark.[82] The two companies reached a settlement permitting Redwell to continue using its name.[83]
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.[84] Named as plaintiffs were Benjamin Careathers, David Wolf, and Miguel Almarez,[85] who had sued the company claiming breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment, saying that Red Bull falsely asserted performance-enhancing benefits from the drink's ingredients that were unsubstantiated by scientific studies.[86] 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[87] within 150 days of affirmance on any appeal.[88] Contrary to reports from some news outlets, the plaintiffs had not alleged that the drink did not give consumers actual wings.[89]
