Red Bull is a brand ofenergy drink created and owned by the Austrian companyRed Bull GmbH. With amarket share of 43%, it is the most popular energy drink brand as of 2020,[8] and the third most valuablesoft drink brand, behindCoca-Cola andPepsi.[9] Since its launch in 1987, more than 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold worldwide,[10] including over 12.6 billion in 2024.[11]
Red Bull was derived from a similar drink calledKrating Daeng which originated in Thailand and was introduced by the pharmacistChaleo Yoovidhya. While doing business in Thailand, Austrian entrepreneurDietrich Mateschitz purchased a can of Krating Daeng and claimed it cured hisjet lag. Mateschitz sought to create a partnership with Yoovidhya and formulated a product that would suit the tastes of Westerners, such as by carbonating the drink.[18] In 1984, the two founded Red Bull GmbH inFuschl am See,Salzburg, Austria.[19] When branding their new product, Mateschitz referenced Krating Daeng's name: inThai,daeng means red, and akrating (known in English as agaur) is a large species of wildbovine native to theIndian subcontinent. Red Bull and Krating Daeng use the same red bull on yellow sun logo while continuing to market their drinks separately in the Thai and Western markets.
A large can of the Chinese version of Red Bull stands in front of thePotala Palace in Tibet.
In 1976,Chaleo Yoovidhya introduced a drink calledKrating Daeng in Thailand,[20] which means "redgaur" in English. It was popular among Thai truck drivers and labourers. While working for German manufacturerBlendax (later acquired byProcter & Gamble) in 1982,Dietrich Mateschitz travelled to Thailand and met Chaleo, owner of T.C. Pharmaceutical. During his visit, Mateschitz discovered that Krating Daeng helped cure hisjet lag.[21] In 1984, Mateschitz co-foundedRed Bull GmbH with Yoovidhya and turned it into an international brand. Each partner invested US$500,000 of savings to fund the company. Yoovidhya and Mateschitz each held a 49 percent share of the new company. They gave the remaining two percent to Yoovidhya's son,Chalerm, but it was agreed that Mateschitz would run the company.[22] The product was first launched in Austria on 1 April 1987.[23]
In Thailand,energy drinks are most popular withblue-collar workers. Red Bull re-positioned the drink as a trendy, upscale drink, first introducing it at Austrianski resorts.[24] Pricing was a key differentiator, with Red Bull positioned as apremium drink[25][26] and Krating Daeng as a lower cost item.[27] In many countries, both drinks are available, dominating both ends of the price spectrum.[24] The flavouring used for Red Bull is still produced inBangkok and exported worldwide.[24]
During the 1990s, the product expanded into Hungary, Slovenia, Germany, the Czech Republic, Croatia, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States.[28] It entered Germany and the UK in 1994, the United States (via California) in 1996,[29] theMiddle East in 2000 and thePhilippines in 2012.[28] In 2008,Forbes magazine listed both Chaleo and Mateschitz as the 250th richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of US$4 billion.[30][31]
Red Bull GmbH is headquartered inFuschl am See, an Austrian village of about 1,500 inhabitants nearSalzburg. The company is 51 percent controlled by the Yoovidhya family who, for technical reasons, own the trademark in Europe and the US.[24]
Claims about the drink's effects and performance have been challenged on various occasions, with the UK'sAdvertising Standards Authority imposing advertising restrictions in 2001 in response to complaints recorded as early as 1997.[32]
Thecaffeine content of a single 250 ml can of Red Bull is approximately 40–80 mg / 250 ml (15–32 mg / 100 ml).[40][41][33] The caffeine level in Red Bull varies depending on the country, as some countries have legal restrictions on how much caffeine is allowed in drinks. As is the case with other caffeinated beverages, Red Bull drinkers may experienceadverse effects as a result of overuse. Excessive consumption may induce mild to moderate euphoria primarily caused by stimulant properties of caffeine and may also induce agitation, anxiety, irritability and insomnia.[42][43][44]
Over the years, Red Bull has offered many variations of its drink, all based on the same formula but differing in taste and colour.[45]
Red Bull began offering variations on its drinks in 2003 with a sugar-free version of the drink with a different flavour from the original, calledRed Bull Sugarfree.[46] In 2012, Red Bull releasedRed Bull Total Zero, a variant with zero calories.[47] In 2018, the company releasedRed Bull Zero, a different sugar-free formulation designed to taste more like the original flavour.[48]
In 2009, Red Bull unveiled a highly concentrated variant of its drink calledRed BullEnergy Shot,[49] supplied in 2 oz (60 ml) cans.[50]
The company began expanding its flavour offerings in 2013 with the launch ofRed Bull Editions. Initially available in cranberry, lime, and blueberry,[51] the Editions line has expanded to include a variety of flavours, including some available only during specific seasons or in certain regions.[52][53] Currently, a blue (blueberry), peach (peach-nectarine), winter (iced vanilla berry), sea blue (juneberry) and red (watermelon) are offered.[54]
The original three flavoured Editions: red (cranberry), blue (blueberry) and silver (dry lime). Silver has since been discontinued, and red reformulated to a watermelon flavour.
Red Bull released acola drink, calledSimply Cola, in 2008. A new version of the cola was released in 2019, as part of Red Bull's Organics line.
In 2018, the company launchedOrganics by Red Bull, a line oforganic sodas with four flavours; bitter lemon, ginger ale, tonic water, and a new version of Red Bull Simply Cola.[55]
Authorities in France, Denmark, and Norway initially did not permit the sale of Red Bull.[56] However, as of 2021[update], it is on sale in all 27member states of the European Union and in 171 countries around the world.[57][58]
The French food safety agency was concerned abouttaurine; a Red Bull drink that did not contain taurine was introduced. The French refusal of market approval was challenged by the European Commission, and partially upheld by theEuropean Court of Justice in 2004.[56] The French food safety agency relented in 2008, because it was unable to prove a definite health risk, taurine-related or not.[59]
In 2013, Red Bull told the Redwell Brewery, aNorfolkmicro brewery, to change its name or face legal action, because it sounded too similar to Red Bull. The eight-man brewery inNorwich was told its name could "confuse" customers and "tarnish" its trademark.[60] The two companies reached a settlement permitting Redwell to continue using its name.[61]
In 2014, Red Bull entered into a US$13 million settlement to resolve two consumer class action lawsuits in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York.[62] Named as plaintiffs were Benjamin Careathers, David Wolf, and Miguel Almarez,[63] who had sued the company claiming breach of express warranty and unjust enrichment, saying that Red Bull falsely asserted performance-enhancing benefits from the drink's ingredients that were unsubstantiated by scientific studies.[64] On 1 May 2015, the Court approved the settlement, giving customers who had submitted claims the opportunity to receive a US$10 cash reimbursement or US$15 in Red Bull products[65] within 150 days of affirmance on any appeal.[66] Contrary to reports from some news outlets, the plaintiffs had not alleged that the drink did not give consumers actual wings.[67]
^Kuehlwein, JP; Chaefer, Wolf (Spring 2017). "How modern prestige brands create meaning through mission and myth".Journal of Brand Strategy.5 (4).doi:10.69554/JZWD9402.ISSN2045-855X
^abcdNivatpumin, Chiratas; Treeraponpichit, Busrin (28 December 2015)."Red Bull still charging ahead".Bangkok Post.Archived from the original on 17 October 2020. Retrieved30 December 2015.
^ab"Red Bull Nutrition Facts"(Red Bull states values declared on labels may vary slightly depending on production locations.).Red Bull. 27 September 2021.Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved27 September 2021.
^van den Eynde F, van Baelen PC, Portzky M, Audenaert K (2008). "[The effects of energy drinks on cognitive performance]".Tijdschrift voor Psychiatrie.50 (5):273–81.PMID18470842.
^Hanson, Angela (28 October 2013)."Innovation Alley".Convenience Store News.Archived from the original on 28 September 2021. Retrieved20 September 2021.
