Red Bull Culture Clash Brings Down the House

Four stages. Four music genres. One heck of a culture clash. The Red Bull Culture Clash event is just one more in-person mega party that lines right up with the Red Bull brand. On June 17^th, Red Bull will hold a third and final evening of all-star bands battling in one venue to get the largest crowd reactions and win the coveted bullhorn trophy. One big party with somewhere around 33,000 guests and four major stages is the kind of party you will need a Red Bull or two just to get through. Tickets for the event are currently on sale and priced at £45 for the London (June 17) event.

A Brave New Culture

Red Bull has been a successful company that surprised the world when an Austrian businessman joined a Thai tycoon to start the energy drink brand. The company is now 25 years old, but it is still partying like it’s 1999. The company was the first to start an entirely new category in the food and beverage market – the energy drink.

From extreme sport stunts to incredible in-person event planning, the company holds live events that match the excitement level of their branded marketing. The founder Dietrich Mateschitz defied odds when he rejected the recommendations of a market research report and spent two years fine-tuning his marketing and communication strategy.

So Far, So Good.

On March 4^th the party was popping in Bristol and then it moves to Manchester on March 10^th before hitting up London in June. The winner at the March 4^th Culture Clash was DJ Die with his Glitterfunk family. This was a city that showed love for its “drum’n’bass” with crowds excited about the dubplates and booming energy of the Glitterfunk vibe. It was a close battle to the end, but by the final round, there was only one clear winner.

Every group is given the opportunity to really shine at this major event. The groups choose their own songs, sounds and guests. Each group is on a stage with an individual PA system and lighting rig. There is no shorting the audience when it comes to this jam-packed concert on steroids. This is event marketing done right.

Not only did Red Bull go all out for their event atmosphere; they chose to pump up the hype with intense event marketing and then encouraged all their fans to live-Tweet the event under the hashtag campaign #CultureClash. And, while there is nothing like the live performances witnessed in-person, Red Bull also chose to stream the Culture Clash live on their website.

Bristol was pure madness and insane energy – but that’s just the way this edgy brand likes it.

NBC and Nitro Circus Live

On November 17, NBC’s host of Nitro Circus Live will feature heart-stopping stunts, performing athletes, record-tricks, freestyle motocross, skate and BMX. Nitro Circus is well-known for its fascinating, excitement-inducing antics, and NBC’s direct sponsorship definitely injects its brand with a new range of motion.

The Nitro Circus Live Event Roundup

Nitro Circus’s eccentric barnstormers imbue the modern flying circus with some of the industry’s finest, most exciting inclusions. Daredevil vehicles, wings and wheels are all there, run by expert stunt-men and women. Most of the event’s air-side activities have, in the past, featured astounding tricks like the ‘double front-flip tail-whip,’ while smaller tricks run amuck across the stage below.

Nitro Circus infuses adrenaline and gasoline, creating fiery displays with a circus-like vibe. It’s all showbiz, but the event’s dangers are very real. Performers take good time preparing for every turn, every trick and every angle, ensuring protection is maximized. Its non-motorized Giganta Ramp is the event’s mainstay, attracting repeat visitors on its merits alone. Harnessing a design revaling one of Evel Knievel, the Giganta Ramp launches non-motorized vehicles up to 60 mph in seconds.

NBC’s Sports Ventures

In 2010, the Nitro Circus television show was adapted and enhanced by its at-the-time CEO, Michael Porra. The all-new, must-see live event might’ve replaced the television phenomenon, but Nitro Circus Live garnered an entirely new audience and smashed box office records. Its diehard television fans arrived, and its masses from Australia, Canada, Europe, the United States, Japan, China, New Zealand, South Africa and the Middle East heralded an in-the-flesh event.

NBC’s Sports Ventures Unit, meanwhile, acquired and developed new angles to target the Nitro Circus Live audience. The NBC Sports Ventures Unit, itself, has repeatedly developed new properties for NBCSN, NBC Sports and the Golf Channel. All of NBC Sports Ventures properties are directly sponsored by NBC, and big-name brands like Reebok Spartan Race, Red Bull Signature Series and Nitro Circus are but a few of its grandest obtainments.

Visibility and Popularity

Nitro Circus live thrives beneath NBC, acquiring massive popularity through Facebook, Twitter and television spots. The NBC Sports Group and Nitro Circus have recently created a multi-year partnership, pairing with Jed Mildon’s record-breaking BMX quadruple backflip event. Nitro Circus: Crazy Train, meanwhile, has become NBC’s newest eight-part series. The reality series, capable of sustaining the original Nitro Circus weight, will be featured on NBCSN.

In the world of experimental marketing, Nitro Circus Live takes the cake in terms of direct approaches. Motorbike backflips, global media attention, famous athletes and event face-offs drive Nitro Circus Live, and NBC’s umbrella impact pushes the limits. Adapted from a show to a live event, Nitro Circus Live is an extraordinary maneuver. The brand’s attention, first and foremost, was derived from its power-packed construction. While a live event seems, at first, almost necessary, Nitro Circus Live is the result of years of planning. Likely, NBC will continue Nitro Circus Live alongside Nitro Circus: Crazy Train, partnering the event’s jaw-clenching features with the brand’s original market platform.

Red Bull at Lollapalooza

Lollapalooza isn’t going anywhere, and its ties to Perry Farrell, Jane’s Addiction’s farewell tour and high-spirited music has kept it rolling for over 20 years. Lollapalooza is one of the world’s finest events for parallel brands, food providers, record companies and long-term industry followers. This year’s Chicago-bound location will enrich Grand Park between July 29 and August 2, featuring iconic music inspirations like Metallica, Florence + The Machine and Paul McCartney.  

Connectivity and the Remote World

With highlights like Young Thug, Tove Lo, Tyler, Flying Lotus, Sam Smith and The War on Drugs, Lollapalooza’s intense visibility is viable for several marketing avenues. Modern connectivity, social media and instant-access multimedia—and Red Bull has, yet again, taken advantage of a multifunctional marketing doorway.

Lollapalooza’s multi-event days span across glory-filled restaurants, street events, jam sessions, product purchases and backstage interviews. Massive gatherings benefit musical shenanigans, and world-class artists are high-profile network leaders in the entertainment marketing world. Red Bull TV will broadcast the events as they occur, taking advantage of their internet media resources to expand brand awareness and associations.

Live Sets and Industry Quality

Red Bull’s brand connects with Lollapalooza at an empirical level. Lollapalooza is associated with enrichment, education and artistic value. More than a high-energy thoroughfare, Chicago’s hosting streets provide venues for some of the world’s best organizations. Over 100 thousand festival fans are brought brand awareness, and Red Bull’s experimental marketing tactics in 2014 are back.

Encompassing high-profile, altruistic partners like Working Bikes, the Love Hope Strength Foundation, Syd Rocks, Oxfam America and HeadCount, Red Bull TV effectively associates itself with multiple industries and caring foundations. Early-stage research projects, inspirational sustainability options, environmental conservation and economic awareness all promote Lollapalooza’s values.

Festival Highlights and Red-Bull’s “Wings”

Red-Bull Live’s unique angle further connects its brand with full access, exclusive shots and behind-the-scenes actions. As viewers tune in, the heart of Lollapalooza is discovered, and online access—essentially—generates a “better-than-live” window. In many ways, Red Bull’s innovative approach is possible due to its market segment. High energy, active lifestyle, music and classic fun are its associations, and Lollapalooza’s atmosphere is perfect for future marketing efforts.

While not entirely reliant on multi-brand networking, Red Bull’s reporter-like marketing approach further engrains it into online culture. Brands associated with active lifestyle have notoriously suffered such entry barriers, creating inaccessible, segmented markets. However, Red Bull’s midway access is generated through its nod to younger culture. The brand has already become somewhat synonymous with Lollapalooza—and it’s widely regarded as one of the event’s primary viewing spectacles.

Late July and Early August are great impact dates for Red Bull, and live performances enhance its brand access. While outreach, online access and market emergence are Red Bull’s primary goals, live brand association and boosted sales further their industry dominance. Viewers are reminded to “not miss a beat” on Red-Bull’s website, further declaring its attachment to Lollapalooza on an intimate level. Festival highlights, point-of-view shorts and unprecedented coverage have already been established by Red Bull’s 2014 Lollapalooza access—and they’ll only continue to benefit the brand’s powerful market presence.