logo
episode-header-image
Jan 2025
45m 17s

⚡ Red Bull: How The World Got Its Wiiing...

Wondery
About this episode

What’s keeping us up at night (besides our own thoughts)? An 8.4-oz blue-and-silver can of caffeine, taurine, sugar, and flavoring that’s part LaCroix, part Robitussin. Red Bull is not only America’s best-selling energy drink, it was its first: before the Bull, ‘energy drink’ in Illinois meant two Diet Cokes and a coffee chaser. But Red Bull’s reach is global, and its story actually begins halfway around the world. Learn about the Bangkok pharmacy owner who invented Red Bull, then gave it out for free in rural Thailand; and the Austrian toothpaste marketer who built it into a $19B global brand; and how Red Bull got so into extreme sports - it invented its own. (Flugtag, anyone?) We’ll tell you why every business needs a north star word, how an epic product needs a seed AND fertilizer, and why Red Bull is the Best Idea Yet.

Be the first to know about Wondery’s newest podcasts, curated recommendations, and more! Sign up now at https://wondery.fm/wonderynewsletter

Follow The Best Idea Yet on the Wondery App or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to new episodes early and ad-free on Wondery+. Join Wondery+ in the Wondery App, Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Start your free trial by visiting www.wondery.com/links/the-best-idea-yet/ now.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Up next
Sep 30
🎬 That’s a Wrap on Season 1 | 51
But you can still get Nick & Jack every day! Follow The Best One Yet, our daily news show delivering 3 stories in 20 minutes. Where business meets pop-culture. Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-best-one-yet/id1386234384Listen on Spotify: https://open.spot ... Show More
6m 2s
Sep 23
📺 SNL: The Snickers Bar of Saturday Night | 50
When Johnny Carson, 1970s late-night king, declared he wanted another day off, it left NBC with a hole in their weekend lineup. 11:30pm Saturday night wasn’t exactly the hot time slot… so the network recruited a quiet Canadian comedy writer named Lorne Michaels to produce a live ... Show More
42m 25s
Sep 16
🎧 Sony Walkman: The Analog Icon That Led to a Digital Revolution | 49
In postwar Tokyo, two engineers were tinkering with rice cookers and busted home radios when they stumbled across a new kind of audio technology: magnetic tape. It inspired them to create a range of ahead-of-their-time tape recorders — and the success took Sony from small repair ... Show More
41m 43s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
RECAP: Red Bull Racing's (Un)Serious Race Series
We recap Red Bull's Las Vegas (Un)serious race series race in the Las Vegas desert, what happens when a hovercraft gets a puncture, Max Verstappen's "Fintstones" strategy, Daniel Ricciardo flippin' the bird, Yuki Tsunoda being a precious baby angel we must protect at all costs, a ... Show More
31m 39s
Mar 2025
Why That Worked #11: Starbucks—The Brand that Changed How the World Drinks Coffee
Exciting news, Hero Makers! We’re sharing a new episode of Why That Worked – Presented by StoryBrand.AI, with Donald Miller back in the host seat. This new show uncovers why certain ideas, brands, and strategies succeed—so you can think differently and apply those insights to you ... Show More
35m 27s
Jul 9
Horner sacked by Red Bull - what's behind the bombshell move?
The bombshell news that Christian Horner has been ousted as Red Bull team principal is explained in the latest edition of The Race F1 Podcast. Jon Noble and Mark Hughes join Edd Straw to discuss his sudden departure and the circumstances surrounding it - including the potential i ... Show More
48m 19s
Aug 22
The Ridiculously Energetic History of Energy Drinks!
This episode is brought to you by our favorite cohost: coffee. These days, if you stroll into any convenience store across the planet, you're going to run into a selection of energy drinks -- whether we're talking Red Bull, NOS, Monster, or our favorite pal, the humble cup of joe ... Show More
47m 1s
Jul 9
Horner sacked by Red Bull! | Reaction as Christian Horner leaves Red Bull and what does the future hold?
Simon is joined by Ted Kravitz, Martin Brundle and Karun Chandhok for a special episode reacting to the news that Christian Horner has been sacked by Red Bull. We discuss what may have led to this decision, who is replacing him and what the future may hold for the Brit who has be ... Show More
47m 55s
Oct 2023
2023 USGP LIVE SHOW IN AUSTIN: RED BULL GIVES YOU WINS
We just got back from Austin and WHEW what a weekend. Shout out to Red Bull for the INSANE paddock and garage access (yeah, you may have seen us on TV...).The guys recorded LIVE at the Vulcan Theater and talked about Sir Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc's wood problems, Logan S ... Show More
1h 17m