Imagine getting paid to drive a car with a giant Red Bull cannister and giving out samples of the drink.
Well, Red Bull has people doing this for years and I found out more about the program at the recent Georgian College Automotive Business School of Canada, where Red Bull had one of its promotional cars on display.
I decided to learn more about Red Bull and how it markets its drinks using the car to create awareness. Red Bull reps Lauren Dale and Noah Paras were seated in the car, which is a Mini with a giant replica Red Bull can on the back, and a cooler beside it that can hold a sufficient supply of cans in ice.
Noan told me Red Bull has several of the cars on the road year round, including a handful in Toronto and a couple in Kitchener, and the company has student “marketeers” promoting the product at events such as auto shows and golf tournaments.
According to the website Shifting Lanes, there are about 500 cars used worldwide.
“Honestly, it’s a lot of fun driving on,” Noah told me. “When you’re driving in one of these things, everyone is always smiling and happy to see you. Some of the interesting comments we get while we’re on the highway is ‘hey, can I get a Red Bull?’ Since we’re on the highway we can’t just stop and give one to anybody. If we’re in a parking lot, we’ll most likely to give out a can or so.”
The cars are particularly prominent at events in the summer, and Noah said as long as you have your standard license, can drive on the highway and pass a background check you could be eligible to get a job.
Noah was working with Lauren Dale, who is the more senior of the two and has been working for Red Bull since 2022. A graduate of University of Toronto in 2023, she is currently enrolled in another degree. She is hoping to work full-time at Red Bull.
“It’s an amazing company to work for, there’s so many different avenues you can go down,” Lauren said.
When I asked her what it’s like driving a Red Bull car, she said: “It’s the best feeling ever, the amount of young kids that smile at you and the people who love the brand. When you pull into parking lots or in neighborhoods you usually wouldn’t go, everyone gets super excited, you get to honk at them.
“One hundred percent I would recommend this job to anyone. Whomever I am talking to, even on campus, I will always say ‘try your best to see if you can get to work for Red Bull. You get to meet so many people. You always get to see so many cool events.”
As an aside, I’m one of the few on earth who hadn’t tried a drink prior to the event. I’m also one of the few on the planet who hasn’t watched any of the Star Wars movies, which is to say I don’t follow the crowd.
Lauren told me a Red Bull is akin to drinking a medium coffee, though not as many ounces, so I downed one quickly. I found the drink sweet, but it didn’t leave me any more pumped than a coffee. Which is to say, it did give me “wings” as it promotes in its commercials. I guess similar to coffee, you’d need to drink a few in quick succession to make you feel like Kramer on Seinfeld.
To learn more about working as a student marketeer in Canada for Red Bull, visit Red Bull Student Marketeer.
Perry Lefko is the Content Manager of The Car Magazine. He can be reached at [email protected]. Feel free to forward any story suggestions or comments.
