What we can learn from Red Bull’s legendary empty can campaign

Guerrilla marketing is an ad tactic as old as time, but no brand has ever nailed it quite like Red Bull – or so the legend goes. Supposedly, in its early days, the brand placed empty cans out in the wild to build the illusion that everyone was drinking it. Now decades on, it's a triumphant leader in the energy drinks sphere.

While the brand has never confirmed the urban myth, the tale is a golden lesson in subliminal marketing. While today's branding might be filled with influencer promo and viral trends, sometimes the best adverts can be ones that sneak right under our noses.

It's said that back in the early '90s, Red Bull was looking to launch in the UK, which led to it crafting an ingeniously unconventional marketing stunt. Placing empty energy drink cans in populated areas like nightclub strips and uni campuses, it appeared that the drink's brand was the next hot thing, soon attracting people's attention.

Fact or fiction, the genius of this legendary campaign comes from its leveraging of social proof. It turns out that if people see something rising in popularity (or at least an implication, in this case), they're more likely to gravitate towards the product. It's subliminal marketing at its finest.

Sadly, I can neither confirm nor deny whether this marketing myth is true, and in some ways, I prefer it to be the stuff of legend. There's much to be taken away from this tale, particularly that it's worth trusting your product, taking risks and thinking outside of the boring ad campaign box.

For more creative inspiration, check out why you need to adopt a 'fix and flex' approach to branding or take a look at these 8 ingenious ways to make your audience feel something.