Where Are My Wings?

            If we are what we consume then I’m surprised that America hasn’t already sprouted wings and flown away already. After all weren’t we promised to get wings somewhere in the form of the energy drinks that we crave for, and when talking about energy drinks what better brand to mention then red bull? Well I for one am still bound by the laws of gravity. With energy drinks such as Red Bull we expect a jolt of energy to replace the sleep we miss and the relaxation that we are too busy for. However energy drinks truly do not offer anymore of a jolt then a cup of coffee or caffeinated soda, and are merely sold to use on the appeal of quick energy when we need it.

            It has been said that since the beginning of time man has dreamed of conquering the skies, we thought we were close with the Wright brothers but now we have Red Bull to help us fly, or at least that’s what their commercials say. Red Bull feeds on one of Man’s oldest desires, to rule the sky, what a powerful thought. Well unfortunately it is not true, red bull does not give you wings, at least not that we know, but then who knows what the long term side effects of those ingredients will be. So what Red bull is actually doing is tapping into the power that consumers associate with the ability to fly and telling us that we can get that exhilaration form their product.

            The other thing that Red Bull offers us is a quick fix to day-to-day situations. It seems that in the animated ads, every problem or funny anecdote is solved by a can of Red Bull. One that comes to mind is a commercial in which we are at an older man, presumably a grandfather’s funeral when we see the grandfather in the clouds flirting, the grandmother then pulls a red bull out of her purse to fly up and pull him away. Now I don’t think my grandmother carries around a Red Bull in her purse next to the hard candy and cough drops, however if she did that scenario would be quite convenient. But no once again the producers of this commercial are only appealing to our desire for immediate gratification, and our love of humor.

            With what I have said in mind it is both impressing and sad at how the producers of these commercials have America’s consumers pegged. We as consumers are well, for a lack of a better word, consumed with the ideas of power, exhilaration, immediate gratification, and who doesn’t love a little laugh. We are all looking for a quick and easy way to get something that we would otherwise have to make time and effort to gain such as a solution to a problem or energy and rest. So as far as the ideas that Red Bull is targeting to get us to buy into the product, well then yes we are what we consume.