For years, energy drinks have been popular among high school students. Since its release in 1987, Red Bull has been popular among high schoolers and college students as it was seen as an easy way to stay awake for a late-night study session. When Celsius was released in 2004 and Bubblr in 2021, Red Bull faced serious competition. Recently, students have retreated to the classic Red Bull instead of these newer alternatives.
When Celsius was first released, it was marketed as a “healthier” alternative to traditional energy drinks. Recent consumers have been increasingly interested in health and wellness, so a “healthy” energy drink became intriguing to many. A few years ago, consumers realized Celsius wasn’t as healthy as they originally thought. The major halt that Celsius drinkers come to when reading the label on their drink is that each can contain 200-300 mg of caffeine, equivalent to five cups of coffee. Many avid Celsius drinkers have complaints about getting the jitters, experiencing heart palpitations, or having difficulty sleeping. “Celsius has too much caffeine so I haven’t been drinking those anymore,” junior Carolyn Robert said.
High school students frequently stay up late at night studying or doing homework, so drinking caffeine in the mornings helps them get through long school days. Bubblr, a favored energy drink, has a more reasonable 69 mg of caffeine, equivalent to one cup of coffee. Many students say this is the “perfect” amount of caffeine, but others argue it simply isn’t enough. With Celsius containing “too much” caffeine and Bubblr “not having enough,” students have been turning to Red Bulls lately. Compared to Celsius and Bubblr, Red Bull has 80-100mg of caffeine. “They are great in case you don’t want a huge caffeine intake and they have enough caffeine to keep me energized in class,” sophomore Hannah Larson said.
Red Bull offers a wide range of flavors so that there’s something for everyone. While the original Red Bull is always a classic and fan favorite, they now offer many other flavors such as Tropical Edition, Purple Edition, or Peach Edition. Over ten different flavors are now available as well as sugar-free or zero-calorie options which makes Red Bull stand out amongst their competition and also draws students into their brand. “[My favorite flavor is] Coconut Berry because it’s not as bitter as the other flavors. Red Bull has more variety of flavors and different sizes which is what I like about it,” Larson said.