It has become apparent that regrettably, and despite its marketing claims, Red Bull does not give you wings. The brand has settled a US law suit that accused the company of false and misleading advertising and promised to pay more than US$13 million (AU$14.8 million) as a consequence.
The brand’s claims of sprouting wings on their cartoon ads are tongue-in-cheek, but the company will reimburse customers who have felt disappointed by their inability to fly with either a cheque for $10 or $15 worth of Red Bull products.
The main argument of the class action was that the company mislead consumers by making inaccurate claims of increased performance, concentration and reaction speed. One of the plaintiffs claimed that he had been drinking Red Bull for many years and had not experienced any discernible increase in performance.
In a statement issued from Red Bull following the settlement the brand said, “Red Bull settled the lawsuit to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation. However, Red Bull maintains that its marketing and labelling have always been truthful and accurate, and denies any and all wrongdoing or liability.”
Energy drink brands have traditionally made claims of improving performance in their marketing campaigns, though V Energy's latest Australian campaign is taking a different tack - one that is unlikely to see it landed in court for the same reasons as Red Bull. Its understated brand claim? V is “the massive hit that improves you a bit.”
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