Red Bull Stratos

15 October 2012

Red Bull is no stranger to publicity stunts. We have seen them take on extreme sports ranging from cliff-diving to Formula 1 racing, so it does not surprise us when we find that they have blasted the headlines with their latest exploit. But this time they have taken their branding to the edge of space in a stunt that has never been attempted before.

Yesterday, millions around the globe saw Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner plummet from 128, 100 ft above the earth, breaking a new world record for the highest ever skydive. But unbelievably, . 43-year-old Baumgartner also became the first person to fall faster than the speed of sound, reaching a staggering speed of 833.9mph.

So it is no wonder why Red Bull, a client of JFL, is an internationally acclaimed brand. Baumgartner’s skydive, named as the Red Bull Stratos, took Red Bull’s marketing campaign above and beyond (quite literally) the attempts made by their competitors, and turning their new campaign into new world records.

Red Bull’s fresh and shocking stunts don’t just create curiosity, but demand attention from millions, particularly Red Bull’s primary target audience. In repeatedly thrilling the young male market, they are ensuring their success and leaving them with a ‘thirst’ for more. 

But what is also of interest here to other brands is the coverage of the skydive created by social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter. The Red Bull Stratos broke yet another world record when over 7.1million people tuned into the live streaming of the event on Youtube – the highest recorded number for an internet video ever! What’s more is that 3.1million tweets relating to the sky dive have been reported. Red Bull’s Stratos has highlighted how social media is rapidly expanding, becoming an integral way of communicating news and heightening publicity all around the world.