How Red Bull Gives Sports Wings

What's in Red Bull’s playbook? And how are they dominating the world of sports?

November 26, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Pre-match briefing

Hello and welcome to our final newsletter of November. This week we’ll be looking at how Red Bull went from an energy drink to a football club. And an F1 team. And an Esports organization. And an ice hockey team. And.. you get the idea. Also, watch out for the scout’s overview for our:

  • Athlete of the week: Felix Baumgartner

  • Venue of the week: Red Bull Arena

  • Kit of the week: Red Bull Racing Suit

  • Sport of the week: Flugtag

Kick-off
🏎️ How Red Bull Gives Sports Wings

What happens when an energy drink company decides it’s not enough to sponsor sports? It creates its own! Red Bull isn’t just the fuel behind extreme athletes; they’re the architects of a whole new sports ecosystem.

Take the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series—a gravity-defying spectacle. Or the Crashed Ice series, where skaters hit speeds of 50 mph on downhill ice tracks, leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Let’s not forget the Red Bull Flugtag, where "engineers" (more like daredevils with duct tape) try to fly homemade contraptions into lakes.

But here’s the kicker: Red Bull doesn’t just do this for adrenaline junkies. They blend high-octane entertainment with a sharp sense of marketing genius. These events aren’t just sports—they’re cultural phenomena, designed to pull you in, get you talking, and maybe, just maybe, make you grab a can of Red Bull. This strategy clearly works for them as they sold over 12.1 billion cans in 2023.

They don’t just support existing sports—they build experiences that align with their brand ethos. From their Air Races to Freestyle BMX showcases, they create platforms that athletes dream of and fans can’t resist.

So, what’s the lesson here? Maybe it’s time to think beyond the field, rink, or track. Red Bull didn’t wait for a space at the table—they built their own table and threw an epic party on top of it.

P.S. Think you’ve seen all their wild creations? Click here to see even more.

Scout’s Overview
📡 🚨 Weekly Sports Radar: Red Bull Flugtag

Keeping up with the Red Bull theme, our sport of the week is Red Bull Flugtag.

Red Bull Flugtag (German for "Flying Day") is a unique competition organized by Red Bull, where participants design, build, and pilot homemade, human-powered flying machines off a platform into water. It was first held in Vienna, Austria, in 1991. Since then, it has become a global phenomenon, with events held in major cities like London, Sydney, and Dubai.

Participants are judged based on three key criteria: Flight Distance (how far the flying machine glides before hitting the water), Creativity (the design of the machine), and Showmanship (the performance that precedes the launch).

Athlete of the week: Felix Baumgartner

Venue of the week: Red Bull Arena (Leipzig)

Felix Baumgartner is an Austrian skydiver and daredevil, best known for his record-breaking freefall from the edge of space in 2012.

Fun fact: During his 2012 space jump, he became the first human to break the sound barrier without any automotive assistance, reaching a speed of 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mph).

Red Bull Arena Leipzig is home to football team RB Leipzig, it hosts matches in the German league (Bundesliga) and European competitions.

Fun Fact: It’s the largest of the Red Bull stadiums, with a capacity of 47,800. Other Red Bull Arenas are in New Jersey (USA) and Salzburg (Austria).

🧤 Fit Check: Red Bull F1 Racing Suit (2024)

This racing suit features a slick navy blue design with bold red and yellow accents and the iconic Red Bull branding. This year, we’re seeing Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez wearing this.

Please keep the suggestions coming for next week’s fit check!

From the bench
🗞️ In case you were injured:

  • Backflips are back: Figure skating reintroduces backflips after banning them for over 40 years

  • Two GOATs combine: Andy Murray joins former rival Novak Djokovic’s coaching team

  • McGregor knocked out: Conor McGregor was found liable in a 2018 sexual assault case by civil court

🎯 In over-time:

📊 Analyst’s corner:

  • The global action sports industry is forecasted to reach $648.79 billion by 2027

And that’s a wrap. For those celebrating, Happy Thanksgiving!

If you enjoyed reading The Gameplan, consider forwarding it to your friends & family! If you have some ideas, email us at [email protected].

Signing out,
Wasay (brother #2)

No, Red Bull didn’t sponsor us. (Please do @RedBull).
Wahaab (brother #1)

Reply

or to participate.