Red Bull Isn't Red-Faced About Cocaine Chatter
The Food and Drug Administration of Jordan and lawmakers in Germany are banning the sale of Red Bull Simply Cola after a study released this month by the German Nordrhein-Westfalen Institute of Health and Work said it found small amount of cocaine in the cola drink
Executives at Red Bull in Santa Monica, Calif., say "de-cocainized" coca leaf extract is used as flavoring in the cola version of its drink--and that it's safe. Is this report good or bad for Red Bull? Word about the German report is spreading--and it could boost sales of Red Bull among its teen and young-adult target in the U.S., experts say.
For years, rumors about the ingredients in the hyper-caffeinated original drink have created a bit of mystique around the brand, which launched in 1997. For a while there was chatter among its fans that bull semen was behind the drink's name--and its oomph. When the prime minister of Ireland called for an investigation after a student died after drinking Red Bull at a sporting event in 2001, the company insisted its product was 100% safe to drink.
Occasionally, companies turn urban legends about their brands into marketing platforms. For decades, teens talked up green M&Ms as a supposed aphrodisiac. Mars, the maker of M&Ms, last year played upon that talk with a Valentine's Day campaign featuring Miss Green, a high-heeled-shoe-wearing sex goddess character. For a limited time, the company sold green-only bags of M&Ms and there was a Web site where fans could share stories of ways "the green ones" enhanced their love lives. The company even offered a trip for two to Paris to a couple willing to share the hottest bodice-ripping tale involving green M&Ms.
Cardo Systems, a Bluetooth headset manufacturer in Pittsburgh, came up with an idea last summer to capitalize on a rumor that cellphones emit micro-waves strong enough to cook food. With the help of Paris agency Lastfools, Cardo created four Web videos of party boys using their cellphones to pop kernels of popcorn. In the first three videos, made to look low budget, there was no mention of Cardo and no hint that the Web flicks were part of a marketing stunt.
Rumors, even negative ones, can give some brands a boost, says Josh Levine, chief executive of Rebel Industries in Los Angeles. "Especially now, when we have the Internet, brands have the ability to participate in all the legends," he says.
Might Red Bull find a way to milk the latest findings overseas about its cola beverage? Says Red Bull spokeswoman Nyla Hassell: "We'll never tell the secrets of our marketing plans."
The Food and Drug Administration of Jordan and lawmakers in Germany are banning the sale of Red Bull Simply Cola after a study released this month by the German Nordrhein-Westfalen Institute of Health and Work said it found small amount of cocaine in the cola drink
Executives at Red Bull in Santa Monica, Calif., say "de-cocainized" coca leaf extract is used as flavoring in the cola version of its drink--and that it's safe. Is this report good or bad for Red Bull? Word about the German report is spreading--and it could boost sales of Red Bull among its teen and young-adult target in the U.S., experts say.
For years, rumors about the ingredients in the hyper-caffeinated original drink have created a bit of mystique around the brand, which launched in 1997. For a while there was chatter among its fans that bull semen was behind the drink's name--and its oomph. When the prime minister of Ireland called for an investigation after a student died after drinking Red Bull at a sporting event in 2001, the company insisted its product was 100% safe to drink.
Occasionally, companies turn urban legends about their brands into marketing platforms. For decades, teens talked up green M&Ms as a supposed aphrodisiac. Mars, the maker of M&Ms, last year played upon that talk with a Valentine's Day campaign featuring Miss Green, a high-heeled-shoe-wearing sex goddess character. For a limited time, the company sold green-only bags of M&Ms and there was a Web site where fans could share stories of ways "the green ones" enhanced their love lives. The company even offered a trip for two to Paris to a couple willing to share the hottest bodice-ripping tale involving green M&Ms.
Cardo Systems, a Bluetooth headset manufacturer in Pittsburgh, came up with an idea last summer to capitalize on a rumor that cellphones emit micro-waves strong enough to cook food. With the help of Paris agency Lastfools, Cardo created four Web videos of party boys using their cellphones to pop kernels of popcorn. In the first three videos, made to look low budget, there was no mention of Cardo and no hint that the Web flicks were part of a marketing stunt.
Rumors, even negative ones, can give some brands a boost, says Josh Levine, chief executive of Rebel Industries in Los Angeles. "Especially now, when we have the Internet, brands have the ability to participate in all the legends," he says.
Might Red Bull find a way to milk the latest findings overseas about its cola beverage? Says Red Bull spokeswoman Nyla Hassell: "We'll never tell the secrets of our marketing plans."
