24 miles up. Diving towards the earth at the speed of sound. Looking and feeling an awful lot like Superman. If you didn’t see Felix Baumgartner break the world record yesterday for most badass stunt in human history, then you surely missed an amazing feat in heroic recklessness. Yesterday morning at 11:30AM ET, Felix started his ascent into the stratosphere by way of a helium filled balloon concocted by Red bull. After 4 minutes and 22 seconds of free-fall and a comfy little parachute ride, he’d plummeted from a record breaking 128,000 feet (roughly 24 miles) back to earth. While this is definitely reality tv at its finest, it has much larger implications for Red Bull’s $5Billion empire. The company that “gives you wings” has just set the bar even higher for mega brands.
So why the hell did Red Bull decide to sponsor this amazing stunt to begin with? After all, their in the food & beverage industry, not the aerodynamics industry right? Well, not exactly. See Red Bull has become an absolute behemeath in the energy drink arena because they’re pushing the boundaries in so many different arenas. They truly get the concept of the lifestyle brand and are latching on to all things ridiculously awesome. Think about it, if you’re looking for a product that’s going to give you super powers while at work or at the club, wouldn’t you choose one that’s being consumed by the most creative and daring individuals on the planet? That’s rhetorical. Of course you would! I’m no Sigmund Freud, but it’s clear that Red Bull understands the human pysche. As mere mortals, we subconsciously gravitate towards romantic and fanatical stimulation. It’s prewired in our system to live vicariously through other people and to swoon at the idea of ditching our stressful, responsibility-laden lives in pursuit of an “I don’t give a fuck I want to do this” lifestyle. That’s why reality TV and soap operas and Fabio books and video games are so darn popular.
Red Bull has managed to build their brand in a way that most other companies simply drool at. Let’s take stock of their branding endeavors over the past couple of years.
Red Bull Flugtag: This iconic Red Bull event challenges teams of everyday people to build homemade, human-powered flying machines and pilot them off a 30-foot high deck in hopes of achieving flight
Red Bull Rampage: 25Â moto-cross riders race daringly across a dirt course which covers 1,500 vertical feet and includes a 60-foot canyon jump. Competitors are judged on style, amplitude, fluidity and difficulty of line.
Red Bull Soundclash: AÂ unique clash of sounds, styles and creativity, where two bands don’t battle each other, but instead collaborate to create an innovative live music performance.
Red Bull Candola: Taking place in my backyard, amateur seafarers test their homemade crafts on the New River in Fort Lauderdale. Some of them float and some of them don’t fare so well, but good times are had by all.
Red Bull Stratos: Yesterday’s event seen by millions of people worldwide. Felix Baumgartner breaks the world record for highest free-fall and eclipses the speed of sound.
These are just a few of Red Bull’s cleverly branded events and they all compound on one another like Legos to continuouly build upon the “give you wings” brand. They’re embracing energy-intensive activities to inspire people to work harder, longer, and hopefully, smarter. You’ll notice that all of the aforementioned branding campaigns not only display daredevil tactics, they also require a high level of ingenuity. What better way to promote an energy brand than to subtly say “with Red Bull, you get the extra energy needed to be great.” And to be creative. And remarkable. They’re not just pushing energy. There’s already enough competitors in the “wired-to-the-walls” space (*cough* cocaine).
Alright, let’s get to the important part. You’re probably thinking, C-Payne, I don’t have millions and millions of dollars to sponsor the next suborbital human flight, what do I do? It’s simple really. Be creative. Do what no one in your industry is doing. I’m not telling you to ditch the marketing campaigns that are producing positive ROI, I’m saying think bigger. Think fun…ner. In the words of the highly brandable Mr. 007 “Give the people what they want!” A great entry point for any business, regardless of the junk you sell (I mean that in a nice way 
, is to start exploring video. Video truly is a branding God-send. You can litterally become the most popular company in the world overnight. Look at this friggin Gangnam song. Over 500 Million views! WTF! I digress. As I was saying, start recording some quirky videos and stick em up on YouTube or maybe even Vimeo depending on your industry. The video doesn’t have to be overly elaborate, just pick a short, creative storyline that promotes your product (without being salesy) and give it a go. You can only fail if you don’t try. I promise you’ll be suprised just how much traction you get if you’d only poke your tiny little turtle head out of that big shell of fear.
So follow in the path of Red Bull. Find your wings and build an amazing brand. Remember, even Red Bull started from obscurity.
Oh and in case you didn’t see Baumgartner’s amazing decent, check it out below.
