Red Bull is one of the better-known energy drinks in the world. A sponsor of numerous artistic and sporting endeavors, the company is a constant presence in advertising as well as on grocery store shelves. The Austrian company has become the go-to name in energy drinks, quite nearly making Red Bull the go-to synonym for any energy drink on the market. One of Red Bull’s most enduring aspects is its logo. The Red Bull logo stands out on store shelves, even though it was designed decades ago. In this article, we will take a look at the composition of the logo and how it has changed over the years in order to determine why it remains so useful.
Red Bull Logo Design Elements
The Red Bull logo is incredibly simple and evocative. It features two bulls running at one another superimposed over a yellow, sun-like circle. Given that the drink was meant to appeal to working-class people in Thailand, the connection between strength and extra energy is absolutely purposeful.
The logo features simple colors, as well – the bulls, as per the name, are red, while the background is yellow. The only other element in the logo is the name RED BULL in red, which helps to further unify the color scheme and helps to reinforce the name of the company in the minds of consumers.
Changes and Evolution
1. Shape
The Red Bull logo shape has, surprisingly, not changed over time. In fact, the modern iteration of the logo is almost identical to the original version of the logo. The only major shape change has been the positioning of the word mark – the original company placed the name below the logo, while the modern company places the name above the logo in most cases. It’s a minor difference, though, one that seems to be done more to keep the logo in line with modern designs than to impact public perception.
2. Color
The primary colors of Red Bull have always been red and yellow. The original Thai version of the drink was virtually identical in color scheme to the current iteration, though it did display the brand name in blue rather than the red of the modern logo. The choice of bold colors is quite similar to that of the Gatorade logo.
Perhaps the biggest change overall is the company’s tendency to display the red and yellow bulls over a blue and white background – something that was entirely absent from the Thai version of the drink, but that does appear in a number of Red Bull’s media campaigns. This change has had a relatively small public impact, but it does mark a departure from the original design.
3. Font
Perhaps the biggest area of change over time has been in the font used by the Red Bull logo. The original font was in Thai, with the words Krating Daeng (Red Bull) positioned underneath the logo. The change in font and language certainly made a huge difference in public opinion, as the switch over to English helped to cement Red Bull as a more international brand. Though the name did not change, this simple language substitution played a huge role in how the brand was sold outside of Thailand and ultimately helped the brand to shed its working-class roots.
Influences/ Inspiration
If you’re looking for influences to the Red Bull logo, you’ll have to look away from most modern Western advertising sources. Instead, you’ll want to look at Thai advertising in the 1970s – the Red Bull logo doesn’t necessarily copy any of those products, but it does certainly fall in line with what one would expect from the time period. In short, Red Bull’s logo is unique in the West precisely because it’s not a natively Western product.
There are precious few direct descendants of Red Bull’s logo. A number of low-end energy drinks do have logos with similar color, but these are largely regional. Rather than inspiring others in the market, Red Bull has managed to carve out their own unique niche.
Trivia
- All of Red Bull’s cans are 100% recycleable .
- Red Bull was initially marketed as an aid to Thai truckers who drove overnight.
- Red Bull initially paid students to throw parties featuring the beverage in order to gain market share.
- Red Bull owns four soccer teams and two F1 racing teams.
- Red Bull was actually successfully sued by a consumer over the phrase “Red Bull gives you wings” as false advertising in 2014.
Conclusion
Red Bull’s logo is iconic and seemingly timeless. It has only undergone minor revisions in nearly fifty years, something that’s rare in the advertising world. By keeping things simple and easy to identify, though, the Red Bull logo has managed to capture the minds of consumers and boost the profile of the beverage worldwide.