In brief
Red Bull is called that because it is the English translation of Krating Daeng, a Thai energy drink created in the 1970s by Chaleo Yoovidhya and sold to truck drivers and factory workers. Austrian entrepreneur Dietrich Mateschitz discovered it in 1982, co-founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984, added carbonation and repositioned the drink as a symbol of energy for young people and athletes.
- Krating Daeng was a very sweet, highly caffeinated drink sold in small glass bottles without carbonation, popular in Thailand but unknown elsewhere
- Instead of TV advertising, Red Bull created extreme events and sponsored sports from motorbike jumps to the Red Bull Air Race and Formula 1
- Red Bull invented the energy drink category in the 1980s and today sells over 10 billion cans a year in more than 170 countries
The Red Bull Case: Why Red Bull Is Called That and How a Thai Idea Became a Global Icon
Red Bull is now the world’s most famous energy drink brand, with an iconic logo, extreme events and a slogan that everyone knows: “Red Bull gives you wings”.
But few people know that Red Bull was not born in Austria and its name was not invented by a European marketing team.
Red Bull is actually a rebranded version of a Thai drink called Krating Daeng, which was sold to truck drivers and factory workers to stay awake during their shifts massacring.
The story of how Krating Daeng became Red Bull and took over the world is a perfect case of genius branding, aggressive rebranding, and a revolutionary positioning strategy.
From Thailand to Austria: The True Origin of Red Bull
In the 1970s, in Thailand, businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya created an energy drink called Krating Daeng, which means “Red Bull” in Thai.
It was a very sweet and highly caffeinated drink, sold in small glass bottles without carbonation. The main target? Truck drivers, factory workers and manual laborers who needed to stay awake during hard work shifts.
Krating Daeng became very popular in Thailand, but was totally unknown in the rest of the world.
Meeting Dietrich Mateschitz: The Brilliant Rebranding
In 1982, an Austrian entrepreneur, Dietrich Mateschitz, worked for a multinational and traveled frequently to Asia.
During a trip to Thailand, he tried Krating Daeng to combat jet lag and noticed something extraordinary: it really worked.
Mateschitz immediately saw the potential of the drink, but realized that to bring it to Europe and the United States he had to completely change its positioning.
So he proposed a deal to Chaleo Yoovidhya:
- They would have created a Western version of the drink.
- They would have called it Red Bull, translating the name Krating Daeng into English.
- They would have added gas to make it more like a soda.
- They would have transformed a drink for truckers into a symbol of energy and adrenaline for young and sports.
The two founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984, based in Austria, and tweaked the formula to suit Western tastes.
The Name Red Bull: Why Does It Work So Well?
Mateschitz knew that the name Red Bull had to be powerful, memorable and evoke energy, strength and endurance.
Here’s why it’s a perfect name for an energy drink brand:
- It’s short and memorable → Two words, easy to pronounce in any language.
- It evokes power and aggression → The red bull is a symbol of strength, energy and determination.
- It works perfectly in English → It sounds international and has a clear meaning for everyone.
Furthermore, the name Red Bull lends itself very well to slogans and storytelling, such as the famous “Red Bull gives you wings”, which emphasizes the idea of instant energy.
Red Bull’s Revolutionary Marketing: No Traditional Advertising, Only Extreme Experiences
Mateschitz knew that Red Bull couldn’t compete with Coca-Cola or Pepsi with traditional advertising.
So he decided to invent a new way of marketing:
- Instead of spending millions on TV ads, Red Bull created extreme events (skydiving, Formula 1, aerobatics).
- Instead of just selling a drink, it sold a lifestyle tied to adrenaline, speed and competition.
- It sponsored the craziest sports in the world, from motorbike jumps to the Red Bull Air Race.
- He created the most sensational media event in history, Felix Baumgartner’s leap from space in 2012, which generated millions of views and transformed Red Bull
in the ultimate extreme brand.
Red Bull Created Its Own Market (Literally)
In the 1980s, no one knew what an “energy drink” was.
Red Bull invented the category from scratch, positioning itself as the perfect drink for students, workers and athletes who needed a instant energy.
Result? Today, Red Bull dominates the industry, selling over 10 billion cans a year in more than 170 countries.
Marketing Lessons from the Red Bull Case
Rebranding Can Transform a Niche Product into a Global Phenomenon
- Krating Daeng was a drink for truckers in Thailand.
- Red Bull is a lifestyle icon for young people and athletes.
Experiential marketing is worth more than traditional advertising
- Red Bull doesn’t sell a drink, it sells an experience linked to adrenaline and extreme sports.
Creating a new market is better than competing in an existing one
- Red Bull invented the energy drink category, instead of trying to compete with traditional soft drinks.
Conclusion: Red Bull, A Name That Changed the World
Red Bull is proof that a right name, perfect positioning and a bold marketing strategy can transform an ordinary product into a global empire.
If Mateschitz hadn’t seen the potential of Krating Daeng and had transformed it into Red Bull, energy drinks as we know them probably wouldn’t exist today.
Next time you drink a can of Red Bull, remember that you’re not just consuming a drink, but a marketing masterpiece born from a brilliant intuition in a small kiosk in Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
Where does the name Red Bull come from?
The name Red Bull is the English translation of Krating Daeng, the Thai energy drink created in the 1970s by businessman Chaleo Yoovidhya. When Dietrich Mateschitz and Yoovidhya created the Western version, they kept the meaning of the original name because it is short, memorable, easy to pronounce in any language, evokes strength, energy and determination, and sounds international with a clear meaning for everyone.
Who invented Red Bull?
Red Bull has two founders: Chaleo Yoovidhya, the Thai businessman who created the original drink Krating Daeng in the 1970s, and Dietrich Mateschitz, an Austrian entrepreneur who tried it in Thailand in 1982 to fight jet lag and saw its potential. The two founded Red Bull GmbH in 1984, based in Austria, and tweaked the formula to suit Western tastes, adding carbonation to make it more like a soda.
What was Krating Daeng originally used for?
Krating Daeng was sold in Thailand to truck drivers, factory workers and manual laborers who needed to stay awake during hard work shifts. It was a very sweet, highly caffeinated drink in small glass bottles without carbonation, very popular in Thailand but totally unknown in the rest of the world until Dietrich Mateschitz repositioned it as Red Bull, a symbol of energy and adrenaline for young people and athletes.
How does Red Bull market itself without traditional advertising?
Red Bull markets itself through experiences rather than TV ads because it could not compete with Coca-Cola or Pepsi on traditional advertising. It creates extreme events, sponsors extreme sports from motorbike jumps to the Red Bull Air Race, and sells a lifestyle tied to adrenaline, speed and competition. Felix Baumgartner's leap from space in 2012 generated millions of views and cemented its image as the ultimate extreme brand.
How many cans of Red Bull are sold each year?
Red Bull sells over 10 billion cans a year in more than 170 countries. This dominance comes from having invented the energy drink category from scratch: in the 1980s nobody knew what an energy drink was, and Red Bull positioned itself as the drink for students, workers and athletes who needed instant energy instead of competing with traditional soft drinks.
Last substantive revision: June 18, 2025.
