Blunders : Red Bull is set to pay out $10 to every customer because they didn’t “give them wings”

Blunders, Lead Article, Retail, Retail News

Red Bull “gives you wings” has been the energy drink’s slogan for nearly two decades. Now the company has agreed to pay out more than $13 million after settling a US class action lawsuit that accused Red Bull of making false and misleading advertising claims, according to the drinks industry publication BevNet.

Red Bull does not, it turns out, give you wings — even in the figurative sense. Red Bull says in its marketing that the drink can improve concentration and reaction speeds, but the plaintiff in the case said these claims were false and lacked scientific support.

While the suit did not allege that plaintiffs were disappointed that they didn’t suddenly sprout wings, it does say that Red Bull relies a lot on terms like “wings” and “boost” to give consumers the impression that the drink gives people some sort of physical lift or enhancement.

If the proposed settlement is passed by the US District Court of the Southern District of New York, where the case was brought, Red Bull will be required to pay $6.5 million into a settlement fund within a week.

i started drinking Red Bull as a comedy bit but now it’s my #lifestyle #beverage of choice. they owe me $12!! http://t.co/vzfkkYNeXv

— claire carusillo (@clocarus) October 8, 2014

The amazing & baffling world we live in: someone successfully sued Red Bull b/c it doesn’t “give you wings.” $13M class action settlement.

— Daniel Roberts (@readDanwrite) October 9, 2014

It’s official, Red Bull owes you $10 under settlement http://t.co/BLK669uKDv Claim form: http://t.co/Tn5fpRDhMb pic.twitter.com/Hl6HoBMLs9

— Kas Thomas (@kasthomas) October 9, 2014

If you bought a Red Bull in the past 12 years, you can get part of a $13 million settlement: http://t.co/hCiYnAWbl6 pic.twitter.com/XyIgJQkC8F

— ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) October 8, 2014