Red Bull strikes bad note with Titanic ad

It has been widely marketed as the drink that “gives you wings” but the makers of Red Bull face being brought to earth with a bang due to the content of its latest advert featuring the Titanic.

More than 110 complaints have been lodged with Britain’s Advertising Standards Authority in the last two weeks over the content of the advert, including a number from descendants of people who lost their lives on the stricken vessel.

In the cartoon-style advert, a crate of the energy drink is shown as it is being winched onto a ship. The captain approaches the man loading it and asks what it is. When he is told it is Red Bull, he says: “No, no, take it down immediately. On my ship we only have champagne”. The loader replies: “Yes, but Red Bull gives you wings.”

The captain guffaws before saying: “Wings, why on earth would you need wings on a ship?”

The crate then moves, revealing the ship’s name “Titanic” printed on its side.

On its Facebook page, the Titanic Heritage Trust wrote: “A well known energy drink has chosen to use one of the top 5 brand names in the world in its latest TV commercial, inferring a connection with the product. This is in very bad taste and is disrespectful to all those whose lives have been touched by Titanic and have since been lost to us.”

According to the Guardian, the company will find out this week whether or not the advert is to be investigated by the ASA. The advertising watchdog could decide to ban the advert if it decides it breaches the British advertising code.