Red Bull facts for kids
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8.4 fl oz (250 ml) can of Red Bull Energy Drink
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| Type | Energy drink |
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| Manufacturer | Rauch |
| Distributor | Red Bull GmbH |
| Country of origin | Austria |
| Region of origin | Fuschl am See, Salzburg |
| Introduced | 1 April 1987 |
| Color | Yellow |
| Ingredients | Caffeine, taurine, glucuronolactone, sucrose and glucose, B-group vitamins, and water |
| Variants | Red Bull Sugarfree Red Bull Total Zero Red Bull Zero Red Bull Energy Shot Red Bull Editions |
| Related products | Krating Daeng Red Bull Simply Cola Organics by Red Bull |
Red Bull is a very popular brand of energy drinks. It was created and is owned by an Austrian company called Red Bull GmbH. As of 2020, it was the most popular energy drink brand in the world. It was also the third most valuable soft drink brand, after Coca-Cola and Pepsi. Since it first came out in 1987, over 100 billion cans of Red Bull have been sold globally. In 2023 alone, more than 12 billion cans were sold.
Red Bull first came out as just one flavor in a tall, slim silver-blue can. This was called Red Bull Energy Drink. Over time, many new versions have been added. Its famous slogan, "Red Bull Gives You Wings," is one of the most well-known advertising phrases. Red Bull doesn't just use regular ads. It creates excitement and a special image by sponsoring extreme sport events. These include the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series, Red Bull Air Race, and Red Bull Crashed Ice. They also do amazing stunts like the Stratos space diving project. Besides sports, Red Bull owns several sports teams. They also work with famous people and have their own music label, Red Bull Records.
Red Bull was inspired by a similar drink from Thailand called Krating Daeng. A pharmacist named Chaleo Yoovidhya created Krating Daeng. While visiting Thailand, Dietrich Mateschitz bought a can of Krating Daeng. He said it helped him feel better after a long flight (called jet lag). Mateschitz wanted to work with Yoovidhya. Together, they made a new drink that would appeal to people in Western countries. They added bubbles (carbonation) to it. In 1984, they started Red Bull GmbH in Fuschl am See, Salzburg, Austria. When they named their new product, Mateschitz thought of Krating Daeng. In Thai, daeng means red. A krating is a large wild cow, also known as a gaur. In 1987, the first Red Bull can was sold in Austria. In 1996, Red Bull started selling in the United States. Both Red Bull and Krating Daeng use the same red bull on a yellow sun logo. They sell their drinks separately in Thailand and other countries.
Contents
How Red Bull Started
In 1967, Chaleo Yoovidhya created a drink in Thailand called Krating Daeng. This name means "red gaur" in English. It was very popular with Thai truck drivers and factory workers. In 1982, Dietrich Mateschitz was working for a German company. He traveled to Thailand and met Chaleo, who owned T.C. Pharmaceutical. During his visit, Mateschitz found that Krating Daeng helped him with his jet lag. In 1984, Mateschitz and Yoovidhya started Red Bull GmbH together. They wanted to make Krating Daeng a global brand. Each partner put in US$500,000 of their own money to start the company. Yoovidhya and Mateschitz each owned 49 percent of the new company. They gave the last two percent to Yoovidhya's son, Chalerm. But it was agreed that Mateschitz would be in charge of running the company. The first Red Bull drink was sold in Austria on April 1, 1987.
In Thailand, energy drinks were mostly for blue-collar workers. Red Bull changed this by making the drink seem cool and fancy. They first introduced it at Austrian ski resorts. The price was also important. Red Bull was sold as a special, higher-priced drink. Krating Daeng was a cheaper option. In many countries, you can buy both drinks. This means they cover both the expensive and cheaper ends of the market. The flavor for Red Bull is still made in Bangkok and sent all over the world.
During the 1990s, Red Bull started selling in many new countries. These included Hungary, Slovenia, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, and the United States. It came to Germany and the UK in 1994. It arrived in the United States (starting in California) in 1996. It reached the Middle East in 2000 and the Philippines in 2012. In 2008, Forbes magazine said that both Chaleo and Mateschitz were among the 250 richest people in the world. Each had about US$4 billion.
Red Bull GmbH has its main office in Fuschl am See. This is a small Austrian village near Salzburg. The Yoovidhya family owns 51 percent of the company. They also own the trademark for Red Bull in Europe and the US.
What's in Red Bull?
| Nutritional value per 250 ml (8.4 fl oz) | |
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| Energy | 460 kJ (110 kcal) |
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29
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| Sugars | 27 |
| Dietary fibre | 0 |
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0
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| Saturated | 0 |
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Protein
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0
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| Minerals | Quantity
%DV†
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| Sodium |
7%
105 mg |
| †Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults. | |
The exact ingredients in Red Bull can be a little different depending on the country. But generally, Red Bull contains caffeine, taurine, and B vitamins. These B vitamins include B2, B3, B5, B6, and B12. It also has glucuronolactone and simple sugars like sucrose and glucose. These are mixed in carbonated water with other ingredients that help balance the drink. For Red Bull Sugarfree, artificial sweeteners like acesulfame K and aspartame or sucralose are used instead of sugar.
Health Effects of Energy Drinks
Energy drinks give you energy mainly because of the caffeine and sugar they contain. Experts still discuss the effects of the other ingredients. Most of the ways energy drinks help your brain, like making you more alert or react faster, are mostly due to the caffeine. There is evidence that energy drinks can improve both mental and physical performance. For example, some studies show they can help with endurance and strength.
However, drinking too many energy drinks or drinking them too often can have negative effects. It can make you feel restless, anxious, or have trouble sleeping. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has said that the amounts of taurine and glucuronolactone in energy drinks are not a safety concern. A review in 2008 also found no clear negative or positive health effects from the amount of taurine in Red Bull.
Caffeine in Red Bull
A single 250 ml can of Red Bull usually has about 40–80 mg of caffeine. The amount of caffeine can change depending on the country. This is because some countries have rules about how much caffeine is allowed in drinks. Just like with other drinks that have caffeine, drinking too much Red Bull can cause problems. Drinking too much might make you feel very excited or agitated. It can also make you anxious, irritable, or unable to sleep.
For most healthy adults, drinking up to 400 mg of caffeine per day is considered safe. This is about the amount in 5 standard 250 ml cans of Red Bull. Drinking just one energy drink will not give you too much caffeine. If you drink more than 400 mg of caffeine, you might feel nervous, irritable, or have trouble sleeping. You might also need to use the bathroom more often or have an unusual heartbeat. Red Bull voluntarily lists the caffeine content on its cans.
Different Kinds of Red Bull
Over the years, Red Bull has made many different versions of its drink. They all use the same basic recipe but have different tastes and colors.
Red Bull started offering new versions in 2003 with Red Bull Sugarfree. This was a sugar-free, low-calorie version with a different taste from the original. In 2012, Red Bull released Red Bull Total Zero, which had no calories. In 2018, they launched Red Bull Zero, which was another sugar-free version. This one was made to taste more like the original flavor.
In 2009, Red Bull introduced a very strong version called Red Bull Energy Shot. It comes in small 2 oz (60 ml) cans.
The company started adding more flavors in 2013 with the Red Bull Editions line. These first came in cranberry, lime, and blueberry flavors. The Editions line has grown to include many different flavors. Some are only available during certain seasons or in specific parts of the world.
- Red Bull Sugarfree (2003–present) – A sugar-free, low-calorie version.
- Red Bull Zero (2012–present) – A sugar-free version with no calories. It used to be called Total Zero and was changed in 2018.
- Red Bull Red Edition (Cranberry) (2013–2020) – A cranberry-flavored version.
- Red Bull Red Edition (Watermelon) (2020–present) – A watermelon-flavored version.
- Red Bull Blue Edition (2013–present) – A blueberry-flavored version.
- Red Bull Yellow Edition (2015–present) – A tropical-flavored version. It was first a limited-time Summer Edition in 2014.
- Red Bull Coconut Edition (2019–present) – A coconut and berry-flavored version. It was first a limited-time Summer Edition in 2018.
- Red Bull Orange Edition (2016–present) – A tangerine-flavored version.
- Red Bull Peach Edition (2019–present) – A peach-flavored version.
- Red Bull Green Edition (Dragon Fruit) (2022–present) – A dragonfruit-flavored version. It was first a limited-time Summer Edition in 2021.
- Red Bull Amber Edition (2022–present) – A strawberry apricot-flavored version. It was first a limited-time Summer Edition in 2022.
- Red Bull Sea Blue Edition (2023–present) – A juneberry-flavored version. It was first a limited-time Summer Edition in 2023.
Other Red Bull Products
In 2008, Red Bull released a cola drink called Simply Cola. A new version of this cola came out in 2019 as part of Red Bull's Organics line.
In 2018, the company launched Organics by Red Bull. This is a line of organic sodas with four flavors: bitter lemon, ginger ale, tonic water, and a new Red Bull Simply Cola.
Red Bull and Sports
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Since 1992, Red Bull has been famous for its animated commercials. They use the slogan "Red Bull gives you wings." These ads show cartoon characters who grow wings after drinking Red Bull. This campaign has been shown in over 170 countries.
Red Bull's global marketing is strongly connected to extreme sports. This includes many activities like motorcycle racing (such as MotoGP and Dakar Rally), mountain biking, aerobatics, BMX, snowboarding, skateboarding, and Formula 1 motor racing. Red Bull also uses music and video games to promote its brand. They have worked with celebrities like Eminem. They also host events like art shows and the "Red Bull Flugtag" (which means "flight day" in German).
Red Bull owns several football (soccer) teams. These clubs are in Austria, Germany, the United States, and Brazil. They all have the Red Bull name in them. For example, in Germany, the team RB Leipzig uses "lawn ball" in its name to follow rules about company sponsorships. By linking its drink to these exciting activities, Red Bull wants to create a "cool" image. This helps make their brand more powerful.
Red Bull has also created its own areas in the PlayStation 3's social gaming platform, PlayStation Home. These areas promote their energy drink and events like the Red Bull Air Race. In 2012, they released a personal space called the "Red Bull House of Skate" with an indoor skate park.
In 2010, the company worked with engineer Adrian Newey. He designed a special racing car, the Red Bull X2010, for the video game Gran Turismo 5. In 2022, Red Bull announced they would build a real-life super car called the RB17, also designed by Newey.
Red Bull Arts
Red Bull Arts is a program for artists that Red Bull started in 2013. It used to be called Red Bull House of Arts. The program has locations in places like Detroit, Michigan, and São Paulo, Brazil. Artists in the program work for three months to create new art. This art is then shown in a final exhibition. During this time, artists can use the galleries as much as they want. They also get money for art supplies. Some of the art created has even been used in Red Bull advertisements.
Sponsoring Athletes and Teams
Red Bull has used sports sponsorships to advertise for most of its history. The company started sponsoring athletes in 1989. At first, they focused on Formula One racing and extreme sports like windsurfing. Later, they started sponsoring more popular sports like basketball and soccer. By 2016, Red Bull sponsored over 750 individual athletes. They also sponsored more than a dozen teams in different sports.
Athlete Sponsorships
The first athlete Red Bull sponsored was Austrian Formula One driver Gerhard Berger in 1989. Many of the company's early sponsorships were in less common or extreme sports. These included Olympic rower Xeno Müller and BASE jumpers. In the 2010s, Red Bull started sponsoring athletes from more mainstream sports. These included tennis player Dominic Thiem, skateboarder Letícia Bufoni, and skier Lindsey Vonn. The company also began sponsoring video game players and esports athletes. These include famous gamers like Richard "Ninja" Blevins and Enrique Cedeño "xPeke" Martinez.
Team Ownership and Sponsorships
The first team Red Bull sponsored was the ice hockey team EC Salzburg in 1987. Red Bull fully bought the club in 2000. Since 2014, Salzburg has also been home to the company's ice hockey and soccer academy. Red Bull became the main sponsor of the German ice hockey team EHC München in 2012. They took full ownership the next year. They also helped pay for the team's new arena, SAP Garden.
In 1995, Red Bull sponsored its first motorsports team, the Swiss Formula One team Sauber. In 1999, they started sponsoring the Flying Bulls, a Czech aerobatics team.
In the 2000s, the company started owning several soccer teams. These include the Austrian team SV Austria Salzburg (now Red Bull Salzburg). They also bought the Major League Soccer team the New York MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) in 2006. In 2009, they bought the German team SSV Markranstadt (now RasenBallsport Leipzig). Red Bull wanted this team to reach the top of the German Bundesliga. RB Leipzig has moved up quickly through the German soccer leagues. They have earned spots in the UEFA Champions League. The company also sponsors the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team.
FC Red Bull Salzburg- FC Liefering
Red Bull Bragantino- Red Bull Bragantino II
RB Leipzig- RB Leipzig II
New York Red Bulls- New York Red Bulls II
Red Bull Events
Red Bull organizes many exciting events around the world. Some of these current and past events include:
- Air Race World Championship (2003–2019)
- Art of Motion (freerunning)
- BC One (breakdancing)
- Cliff Diving World Series
- Crashed Ice (ice cross downhill)
- Flugtag (homemade flying machines)
- King of the Air (kitesurfing)
- MotoGP Rookies Cup (motorcycle racing)
- Paper Wings (paper airplane competition)
- Rampage (mountain biking)
- Soapbox Race (homemade non-motorized cars)
- Stratos (space jump)
- Wings for Life World Run (running event for charity)
- X-Alps (paragliding and hiking race)
- Hardline (downhill mountain biking)
- X-Fighters (freestyle motocross)
Images for kids
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The original three flavored Editions: red (cranberry), blue (blueberry) and silver (dry lime). Silver has since been discontinued, and red reformulated to a watermelon flavor.
See also
- Red Bull Stratos – The 2012 stratospheric parachute jump project.
