RED BULL

You know that kid that grew up down the block that you thought would never amount to anything.  Guess what?  He, she, did grow up to be something.  In fact I saw that kid on TV this past weekend.  I didn’t actually see THAT kid but a bunch of kids just like him or her. 

There were a bunch of them running amuck in Brazil on the X GAMES sponsored by Red Bull.  As I tuned in they were interviewing a girl skateboarder from the United States.  She was excitedly thanking everyone she has known since birth for helping her on her path to victory.  As she was talking they cut away to highlights of her performance.  There we see this cute, blond, girl-next-door flying through the air on her skateboard, wearing Van’s type sneakers, baggy pants and oversized double layer tee shirts down to her knee’s.  Arms flailing as she skids sideways down a rail while flipping her board over with her feet and plunging into a swimming pool with cement lumps in it made to enhance her performance. 

In what must be an orthopedic surgeons dream the X GAMES stages one event after another featuring the kid down the block.  Gangsta style hat on sideways or backwards, hair sticking out every which way, lots of plaid oversized shirts with droopy pants and attitude galore.  They look into the camera with this kind of FU, I don’t give a bleep look any person of authority knows well from having asked the kid down the block to tone it down a bit. 

These tatted up kids are now the envy of those that wish they had the stuff to do whatever they enjoy without any concern for what others think.  They are performing on TV, own their own surf, skate and snow board companies and clothing lines, endorse products and benefit in many ways open to free thinkers.  One of the top Red Bull motorcycle riders is a girl Vogue model who is deaf.    

Capitalizing on all this in one of the more genius advertising blitzes ever is Red Bull.  They have brilliantly created a glamorous, living-on-the-edge aura from a huge jolt of caffeine.  Funny, I had not previously related jumping off skyscrapers, hang gliding, surfing monstrous waves or driving a Formula I car to walking around all jittery from a caffeine fix.  Somehow Red Bull has made the world think there is a relationship. 

Frankly, if I’m about to attempt one of these death defying feats I would want ice water in my veins.  It would never occur to me in my adrenaline hyped state that I should, just for good measure, toss down a can of Red Bull containing 3 million grams of caffeine. 

If you doubt me, pick up a copy of the Red Bull magazine called The Red Bulletin some time.  It is aptly named “A Beyond the Ordinary Magazine”.  There are fascinating, edgy, quick, easy-to-read stories on most anything with risk involved, including, believe it or not, food and music.  A recent issue had a fascinating report on the Red Bull Startos, the Red Bull sponsored balloon.  In what is my candidate for the gutsiest human undertaking ever, a man jumps from a balloon 128,100 above earth, free falls for 119,846 feet at 833.9 mph before opening his chute for a safe landing.  Again, marketing genius.

I got a little off the subject there but the point is, next time you see one of those kids that look like they got a little carried away with the grunge look, smile to yourself.  I think it is safe to say some of our more creative thinkers come from their lot.