Spectacle Du Jour…The Red Bull Air Race

The stunts and events that take our breath away always draw lots of buzz and interest when they come to town…tractor pulls, NASCAR, you name it. They have the daredevil quality that surpasses generations, and can draw large crowds for events. The latest was in New York this past week, the worldwide Red Bull air race. The event featured New York as a panoramic backdrop, lots of thrills and chills over New York Harbor, got great press and buzz for the always viral Red Bull brand, and out itself up as “the sport of the future.. Ticket prices were at a premium as people gazed skyward onSsaturday and Sunday as the daredevil pilots rocked and rolled all over the eater and between the logoed pilons at speeds of over 200 miles an hour. Like another “race of the future,” the now defunct Rocket Racing League, the Red Bull Air Race series seems to have it all. Thrills, chills and a great atmosphere.

What is may not have is a sustainable long term business model. Some reasons.

1- It has no limits as to really who can watch and who can’t. There is no contained course, the beautiful backdrop limits no one from watching. While this may be viewed as an asthetic plus, it is a revenue issue, and probably a big one.

2- It moves fast, maybe too fast. yes you can sell plane sponsorship, but who can really see the logos other than hearing the names of the leaders. The pilons are a good selling point, probably more than the planes.

3- It's a global tour, which means the brand affinity developed for the pilots is limited in markets. The race folks did a great job with step one, branding the race. However what makes circuits a success are the personalities. Hard to get to know athletes at any level who are rarely in market with no affinity to a local audience. That affinity to driver and brand is what helped built NASCAR. For the race to go from spectacle to sport that connection to find out more about the flyers needs to happen.

4- Tough for TV. The good news is these races lend themselves to digital coverage for fans with microcameras and great angles at high speeds. The bad news is that the money remains in mainstream TV and until the audience is there air racing, like most other sports, will remain a costly time buy.

5- Expensive time to launch (no pun intended). Many established leagues and events have come and gone in the challenging global economy. Launching a high cost “sport” in this ear takes very deep pockets and loits and lots of time to gain a foothold. On race weekend the excitement is there. Once the event is gone it is out of mind and people are off to the next event. It will bring more brand affinity to Red Bull as title sponsor and can have a halo effect, but as time fades so will interest until it comes around next year again. Without sustained year-round buzz the cycle needs to begin anew every year and that's tough to do. The same goes with regular media coverage. yes there is a circuit and a world championship, but it is not covered as such yet by mainstream media. Instead of getting the weekly following you get the coverage of a spectacle market by market.

That may work for one off sponsors or a title like Red Bull, but it is very tough to bring in consistent sponsors with such a one-off model.

So what does this mean for Air Racin.? Well it means if the dollars are there there is enough buzz to sustain. It is fast, fun and interesting as a spectacle more than a “sport.” It has inspirational athletes and events but not really aspirational for most spectators. People do drive cars so one can understand the basics of car racing. Most do not fly. It is very expensive to produce, which is usually the death knell of many startups. But it does have the deep pockets of Red Bull, which most start ups do not have. It has the ability to draw large crowds for brand sampling and activation, but it is hindered by a lack of real paid attendance. Can it grow, use technology, clean emissions and a crash here and there to sustain interest. Sure. Will that interest be enough to keep a sustainable business model thrivin.? Tough to say.

The events had buzz and fun and great branding for some partners. Like every part of the industry we hope it succeeds at a high level, as that success brings dollars, interest and buzz to the industry at a time when it is needed most. Hope to see more next year, buzz both in sponsorship and in general interest.