Red Bull is known for very aggressive, outside the box activation. No one does it better. Whether it is with Sean White’s custom half-pipe, the Red Bull air race or the insane annual Flugtag competition, Red Bull consistently creates events that generate interest and attention.

Last weekend however, they set a new standard with King of the Rock. Somehow, Red Bull managed to get permission to hold a one-on-one tournament on Alcatraz, starting at 8 PM on a blustery September night. The event was preceded by half a dozen regional tournaments throughout the west coast. 64 finalists won the right to come to the Rock to compete for $10,000 in a winner take all event hosted by (BDA client) Rajon Rondo.

In spite of the fact that I’ve been in the loop on this thing for almost a year, the event blew me away. The coordination and logistics that went into this event must have been staggering. But the proof is in the pudding. I’ve never seen anything like this. My words won’t do it justice, but the video clip attached does.

Pulling off an incredible event is critical, but so is the follow up. In the days since the event, I’ve seen widespread coverage online, in print and on television. The event itself will be televised later in the fall. Red Bull did a remarkable job pulling off a huge event. This is what grass roots marketing, and activation of a high profile endorsement deal, is all about.