"Does Red Bull Give Vodka Wings?"
New research that will be published in the new edition of the Journal of Consumer Psychology sets out to answer the question: ‘Does Red Bull Give Wings to Vodka?’
"Red Bull has long used the slogan 'Red Bull gives you wings,' but our study shows that this type of advertising can make people think it has intoxicating qualities when it doesn't,” suggests Yann Cornill, the lead author of the project.
Indeed, the investigation claims to show that, when young men are under the impression that a vodka cocktail contains an energy drink, they feel more drunk, sexually self-confident and uninhibited.
More specifically, the suggestion that an alcoholic cocktail contained an energy drink increased perceived intoxication by 51%. This rose again among those who strongly believed that energy drinks boost the effects of alcohol and that being drunk makes you more daring.
As Cornill explains: "Essentially, when alcohol is mixed with an energy drink and people are aware of it, they feel like they're more intoxicated simply because the marketing says they should feel that way.”
On the flip side, the study also found the suggestion that an alcohol cocktail contains an energy drink made participants more wary about getting behind the wheel of a vehicle.
According to the researchers, the conclusions reached in this instance highlight a need for policy-makers and consumer groups to re-assess advertising guidelines for energy drinks.