Red Bull Crashes the Streets to Crown the Best Uphill Biker

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Red Bull recently held a "Red Bull Hill Chasers" challenge to see which BMX, Mountain Bike, Road Cycling, and Fixed Gear riders in the UK were the fastest uphill riders. The event, held in Bristol, featured 16 of the top bike athletes in the UK and 16 top local heroes battling head-to-head to settle a long standing dispute between bike disciplines.

The event was absolutely tremendous. Hundreds of fans were lined alongside the iconic Park Street in Bristol, cheering on the riders as they raced furiously under the city lights. Winners of the different heats received charge bikes as compensation.

Check out photos of the event and the highlights below, especially the first video which shows a BMX rider taking out a bystander on the street. The event just goes to show how Red Bull continues to evolve sport - and in this case, find a way to combine all bike disciplines in a manner that is very entertaining for casual fans:

Mobilizing Brands - Benchmarking the Tour de France

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With thousands of fans tailgating outside stadiums and arenas every given night, ample opportunities exist for brand marketers to drive consumer impressions and partnership affiliation awareness. As organizations and brand partners continue to analyze opportunities inside stadium parking lots, it's hard to ignore what has become a common practice at the Tour de France.

With limited marketing opportunities along the course, Tour de France sponsors invest their activation dollars into building mobile vehicles designed to entertain fans lining the course. These vehicles, traveling as a parade of sponsors, serve as effective awareness drivers for partnering brands.

Sports organizations in the United States can benchmark this practice of mobilizing sponsors by incorporating them in:

  • Tailgate lot activation (on display; strolling through the tailgate lots)
  • Pre-Game Team Walks (Tiger Walk, etc.; serving as a prelude to the team's arrival)
  • Race Track Activation (driving along a NASCAR track prior to a race or during a caution)
  • Championship Parades
  • Team Festivals
  • Guerrilla Marketing (Operating Co-Branded Vehicles)
  • Retail Activation Displays
  • On-Field Vehicles (Drive on the Warning Track or On-Field During Pre-Game; Stretchers, etc.)
  • Pace Cars During Marathons / Endurance Events

Check out how sponsors are being mobilized at the Tour de France below:

View more presentations from Brian Gainor.