Can UWM Make It? Two Red Bull Teams Look to Win Europe Trip

If a student has been at UWM for any period of time, he/she has most likely encountered Red Bull marketers.  Because college students have such a busy schedule, energy drinks are very popular on campuses and, therefore, students from UWM and other universities often promote the popular energy drink.  However, some UWM students may have an opportunity to promote Red Bull to a much larger market.

Red Bull Can You Make It? is a worldwide event in which any team of three students can participate.  The students then make a minute-long video promoting Red Bull near their college campus.  If a team wins enough votes, they are finalists for a free trip to Europe to help promote the drink across the continent for seven days.  A group of judges picks the 165 teams for the event, and two teams from UWM are in the running.  These are their promotional videos.  To cast a vote for a team, click the team name links below.

TEAM BALBOA BROTHERS – Dan, Patrick, and Charles

TEAM ALL DAY BREAKFAST – Matt, Scott, and Dean

Selected teams then are flown to one of five “Starting Points” in Europe.  The team members are required to hand over their cash, credit/debit cards, phones, watches and other devices at the beginning location.  Those items are put in a sealed envelope, and if that seal is broken during the contest, the team is disqualified.  This location is assigned by an organizer; teams do not choose their spot.  From there, the organizer gives each team a team mobile phone, a map, business cards for the Main Event, safety instructions, a backpack and, of course, a case of 24 cans of Red Bull, which must be used tactically, as it is the team’s only currency.  From there, the teams must strategize how it will navigate through each of the “Checkpoints” on its way to a “Final Destination” and how it will use the Red Bull cans to barter for transportation, food and lodging, among other necessities.  At each “Checkpoint”, the teams are awarded points and given more Red Bull cans and tasks to help improve their scores.  Scoring is also done in two other forms: completing tasks on the “Adventure List”, which is basically a mix between a scavenger hunt and a bucket list, and through social media. Those two are somewhat tied together in that a team must submit a video/photo of their completion of a task on the list in order to receive points.  In addition, social media points are given out based on content and how much exposure it receives (likes, shares, comments, views, etc…).

The overall winner will be determined by rankings.  Whichever team ends up with the lowest total of the three rankings wins a summer-long adventure in Europe.