How to create content by staging a stunt -- and covering it as news

What is Red Bull? Really, nothing more than a can of extremely caffeinated soda. How do you create content about that?

Red Bull brilliantly solves the problem by staging stunts and then covering them as if they were news. This stunt-driven content works for the Red Bull audience because it reflects the brand's soul: extreme, cool, irreverent, and sometimes just fall-down funny.

For example, here is a video based upon a simple idea: What happens if you build a massive Rube Goldberg machine (that is, a very complex contraption designed to accomplish a very simple task), and populate it with athletes from the world of extreme sports?

You get this:




OK, so not every brand has the budget to create something this grand. But stunt-driven content can work on the small scale as well. For example, this video in the "Will It Blend?" series from Blendtec:



Again, this works because it fits into the Blendtec ethos: Our blender can blend just about anything, and here's proof. This is a throwback to the old Timex commercials from the 1960s:



How much could it have cost to make that one?

The point is: You can create entertaining content with a can of soda, a blender or a wristwatch. All you need is to dream up an imaginative stunt that includes a touch of humor.