A 38-year-old broken record or a genius idea that’s just timeless? Red Bull advertisements leave you torn between two narratives.
The Austrian energy drink brand, which has been around since 1987, seems to follow a tried-and-tested script for all its ads: an animated problem scenario that inevitably leads to Red Bull giving you wings.
So, why does the company refuse to shake things up?
The answer lies in a well-known advertising strategy called “consistent messaging”—where a brand sticks to the same message for an extended period to reinforce the recall and association.
While this can be effective, it also risks making the brand seem outdated and uninspired.
Consistency is key
The use of 2D animations makes Red Bull’s commercials timeless. The brand doesn’t rely on trends, locations, and flashy effects, and the humorous cartoons allow marketers’ creativity to shine.
The storytelling is not too complex. It shows characters escaping a tricky situation, outsmarting someone, or just boosting their energy with one key solution – a can of Red Bull.
The brand’s tagline, “Red Bull Gives You Wiiings,” is one of the most recognisable in the world, almost synonymous with the energy drink category itself.
This is the core principle behind its strategy: if something works, why change it?
Red Bull commercials have a universal appeal. The branding in India is the same as in the United States, United Kingdom, or Australia.
This uniformity allows the brand to market itself consistently worldwide without localisation challenges such as age, culture, language, and more.
From a branding perspective, this is smart. But does this come at the cost of innovation?
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Creative stagnation
Sticking to the same formula makes Red Bull’s advertising predictable, safe, and even outdated in a rapidly changing media landscape.
The advertising world has moved on. From witty punchlines, powerful brand ambassadors, nostalgia baiting to AI use — brands are in a race to outsmart each other.
The adoption of ‘guerrilla marketing’ has become a go-to strategy, under which companies use creative and unconventional tactics to get people’s attention.
In an era where storytelling sells, Red Bull’s cartoonish, one-liner approach comes across as too simplistic and lacking emotional depth.
While the ads worked for millennials, they might not have the same impact on a younger audience. Gen Z consumes content differently – consistently on the lookout for relatability, engagement, and a ‘wow’ factor.
Red Bull’s traditional ad format doesn’t spark conversations or social engagement the way modern campaigns do. However, its branding is deeply tied to Formula 1, extreme sports, Esports, and adventure content, ensuring excitement and relevance despite unchanging ads.
More importantly, Red Bull doesn’t just advertise. It creates and owns media platforms such as Red Bull TV, and YouTube channels that generate millions of views.
This lets the brand stay culturally relevant without needing to revamp its old-school ad format.
Brand: Red Bull
Agency: Red Bull Media House
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)