LONDON (Brand Republic) - Red Bull has been rapped over the knuckles by the Advertising Standards Authority following a three-and-a-half year inquiry.
From now on, all future ads made by the fizzy drink manufacturer will have to receive approval from the Committee of Advertising Practise before release.
The ruling follows complaints made by the public about an ad campaign the Austrian-based company ran across newspapers, magazines and posters in 1997.
It claimed that Red Bull improved concentration, reaction time and endurance. But independent research carried out by the ASA found the claims to be untrue. It found that one can of Red Bull contained the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee and it would take four cans to reach the improved performance levels described.
In its defence, Red Bull sent the ASA lists of ingredients and the results of 20 studies into its main ingredient, caffeine. It now claims to have more up-to-date research.
Red Bull UK managing director Harry Drnec said sales of 260m cans in the UK last year, a 51% share of the sports energy drink market and a 50% growth rate confirmed that consumers agreed with them.