Brand ads
Red Bull's ads on Facebook and Instagram still look like Red Bull: hand-drawn cartoons, a single question as the headline, and the can somewhere in the joke. Next to them run ads for its own events, the Soapbox Race and Flugtag, plus a gaming tie-in with a limited edition can.
That mix is most of the Red Bull playbook. The brand sells the drink through the cartoon "gives you wiiings" line it has used for decades, and it sells the lifestyle by advertising events it owns.
Every ad below is in the public Meta Ad Library and belongs to the brand that ran it. Most are still live; the ones that have ended say so on the card. We show a still frame, the copy, and our read on why it works.
Red Bull Gives You Wiiings.
CTA: Learn moreHook: A plain white frame with a sketched door and a dog, and the line "Red Bull gives you wiiings."
The frame is almost empty, so it stands out in a busy feed. The extra "i"s in "wiiings" are both the joke and the brand line. Years of TV spots taught people how to read this format, so it needs no explanation.
Rasing The Bar?
CTA: Learn moreHook: A cartoon kid hangs from a pull-up bar where one of the weights is a giant can of Red Bull Zero, under "Raising the bar?"
The pun works two ways: a gym bar and a higher standard. Making the can the weight keeps the product at the centre of the drawing, and the question headline leaves you to finish the thought.
www.redbull.com
Zero Time To Lose?
CTA: Learn moreHook: A cartoon man grins at a tablet, surrounded by doodled gadgets and a Red Bull Zero can, under "Zero moments missed?"
"Zero" is both the product name and the promise. The busy doodles show a packed day, and the can sits in the middle of it as the thing that keeps up.
Red Bull Soapbox Race Denver
Red Bull Soapbox Race is coming to Denver! Catch the action on June 13th at Empower Field at Mile High
CTA: Learn moreHook: A cartoon soapbox cart races out of a Red Bull arch under the headline "RED BULL SOAPBOX RACE."
The date and the stadium sit right under the headline, so a local fan gets everything at a glance. An ad for an event the brand runs gives people a reason to show up that has nothing to do with buying a can.
www.redbull.com
Red Bull Flugtag is coming to Miami! Catch the action on Halloween at Bayfront Park! Gates open at 10am
CTA: Learn moreHook: A homemade flying car tips off a ramp toward the water at a Red Bull Flugtag.
The frame catches the moment before the drop, so you want to see what happens next. The copy gives the city, the date and the gate time, and the Halloween timing is a reason to make a day of it.
www.redbull.com
Red Bull Wings Cup is live! Play the EAFC 27 in-game tournament for your chance to win a Red Bull gaming experience
CTA: Learn moreHook: A Wings Cup can floats over a stadium pitch with "Swipe to take your shot."
The instruction is a game action, which suits an audience of football gamers. Tying the can to a tournament with a prize makes buying a drink an entry ticket.
www.redbull.com
Red Bull Wings Cup is here! Secure your limited edition Red Bull can and redeem in EAFC 27 to unlock exclusive rewards.
CTA: Learn moreHook: A limited edition Wings Cup can, lit like a trophy, asks "Ready for the Red Bull Wings Cup?"
Limited edition packaging gives collectors a reason to buy now. The copy explains the reward in one sentence: buy the can, redeem it in the game, get exclusive items.
Most are illustrated: a cartoon character, a short question and a can, drawn in the same style as the brand's long-running TV spots. The rest are event ads and a gaming promotion with an in-game reward.
Yes. One current video ad is only the line "Red Bull gives you wiiings" over a simple drawing of a door and a dog, the same joke structure the brand has used for years.
Pick one visual style and keep it until people know your ads by sight. Ask a question in the headline, put your product inside the idea rather than beside it, and if you host anything, advertise it as its own story.
They come from Red Bull's page in the public Meta Ad Library. Most are live. The Soapbox Race ad and the Zero ad have ended and are marked with the dates they ran.
Ads are from the public Meta Ad Library and belong to their respective brands. They are shown here for study and commentary. We do not know any advertiser’s spend or results, so we never quote them.