Red Bull sent a man to space and sales went through the roof. In 2012, Felix Baumgartner jumped from the edge of space, free-falling faster than the speed of sound while millions watched.
The $500 Million Free Fall
This wasn’t just extreme sports – it was extreme marketing. Red Bull spent $30 million on the stunt but earned an incredible $500 million in return.
While most brands fight for 30-second ad spots, Red Bull captured 8 million live viewers who couldn’t look away.
Why It Worked
The genius was in the simplicity:
- Send a man to space
- Have him jump
- Break the sound barrier
- Broadcast it live
No traditional advertising could match watching a human being plummet from the stratosphere with the Red Bull logo prominently displayed.
The Real Power Move
Red Bull didn’t talk about energy drinks. They didn’t need to.
Instead, they showed exactly what their tagline “Red Bull gives you wings” means. The message was clear: Red Bull isn’t just about caffeine – it’s about pushing human limits.
Before the jump, Red Bull was an energy drink company. After, they were marketing legends who happened to sell beverages.
The lesson for brands? Sometimes showing beats telling. And when you perfectly align your marketing stunt with your brand promise, you don’t need to mention your product at all.
3 Creative Stunts Any Business Can Apply
1. The “Impossible Challenge” Spectacle
Strategy: Create a seemingly impossible challenge that embodies your brand values.
Example: A sustainable clothing brand could attempt to create an entire collection using only materials rescued from landfills within 24 hours, livestreaming the entire process.
Why it works: It creates narrative tension (will they succeed?), demonstrates brand values in action, and produces shareable content regardless of outcome.
2. The “Customer Spotlight” Transformation
Strategy: Showcase real customers achieving extraordinary results using your product/service.
Example: A fitness app could document an ordinary user’s 90-day transformation journey, professionally filmed and released as a mini-documentary series.
Why it works: Authentic social proof is more powerful than any claim you could make, and transformation stories tap into powerful psychological triggers.
3. The “Behind-the-Scenes” Revolution
Strategy: Reveal a surprising or revolutionary aspect of your creation process that aligns with your brand story.
Example: A coffee company could livestream their direct negotiations with farmers, showing real-time price agreements that are significantly higher than fair trade minimums.
Why it works: Transparency builds trust, and seeing the “how it’s made” satisfies curiosity while reinforcing your brand’s unique value proposition.