Red Bull has agreed to pay $13 million to put an end to a class-action lawsuit for false advertising, and now has to dole out settlement dollars to anyone who bought one of its beverages between the dates of Jan. 1, 2002, and Oct. 3, 2014.
The false advertising?
Drinkers say they were misled by the slogan, “Red Bull gives you wings,” BuzzFeed reported. The plaintiffs basically claimed in a lawsuit that the company gave out false claims about the drink’s ability to increase performance and reaction speed, and not backed by science. One plaintiff, for example, said he drank the beverage since 2002 but saw no athletic benefits, BuzzFeed reported.
“Such deceptive conduct and practices mean that [Red Bull’s] advertising and marketing is not just ’puffery,’ but is instead deceptive and fraudulent and is therefore actionable,” court documents said, BuzzFeed reported.
Red Bull, even though it settled, denied wrongdoing.
“Red Bull settled the lawsuit to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation,” the company said in a statement reported by BuzzFeed. “However, Red Bull maintains that its marketing and labeling have always been truthful and accurate, and denies any and all wrongdoing or liability.”
The company will be paying those who file a claim either $10 in cash refunds, or $15 in company products.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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