Background Research Into Red Bull Advertising Campaigns

To get a feel for how Red Bull has previously advertised its product, it was suggested that we conduct research into Red Bull's animated television adverts. Part of the research involves analysing the content of the adverts and working out the metaphors and hidden meanings behind them.

One thing that struck me when reviewing these adverts was how absurd their content is. The absurd nature of these animated adverts was no doubt intended to cause it to stick in the mind of the viewer. Despite the nonsensical nature of the adverts, the hidden meanings behind them are easy enough to figure out.

Image source - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbtKAXaf9QA

The above image shows a Red Bull television advert from 2010 whose meaning is pretty blatant. In order to advertise that drinking Red Bull awakens the mind, the advert presents a Grand Master of a Tibetan (I assume its Tibetan) monastery who gives travelers cans of Red Bull when they ask him to invigorate their minds.

Image source - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LH8BHxz9lPg

This advert, from 2001-2002, presents a Frankenstein scenario in which Igor brings the monster to life by feeding it a can of Red Bull. As with the previously mentioned advert, the meaning behind it is pretty blatant; when you are feeling dead inside, a can of Red Bull will awaken your mind and body. The monster announcing that he is "off to Hollywood" also implies that drinking Red Bull can give you the confidence to go out and do what you want to do.

 

Image source - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bI5C61x6nFE

Other adverts from Red Bull were more controversial. Some contained highly sexualised content, others featured content that was insensitive or made fun of touchy subjects. The image shown above is from one such advert that drew a large number of complaints when it aired in 2013. It apparently implies that if the people aboard the Titanic on its ill-fated voyage had had Red Bull, which "gives you wings", they would have survived the disaster. While it is likely that the intended idea was to show that Red Bull can help give you a boost in desperate times, the use of such a sensitive subject did not do any favours for the product.

There have been many different Red Bull animated adverts, each differing vastly in its content from the others, and they each have their own subliminal message. I will look further into Red Bull's advertising output to get inspiration in my own generation of ideas.