Red Bull Soapbox race, often known as the “World’s Wackiest Race” is a combination of comedy and carnage where amateur teams compete in some of the most outrageous, self-made, soapboxes.

It is one of the most significant events the energy drinks company organises across the globe to raise awareness among its audiences and build brand profile in its quintessential way of celebrating speed but in a fun and disruptive way.

Red Bull Soapbox Race was launched in Taiwan on 29 September, 2013 bringing with it, its customary comedy of crashes.

An experiential marketing campaign involving large-scale outdoor event that engaged audiences and sought their participation in the event was the most prominent way of raising awareness for the energy drinks company. But it was easier said than done.

There was zero awareness of Soapbox racing in Taiwan. The Taiwanese do not have a “Do It Yourself” culture that is a pre-requisite for building soapboxes. There are no toolboxes or garages in a Taiwanese household.

In fact, only two types of events draw big crowds - baseball and political demonstrations. The challenge was not just to raise awareness about the Race but to encourage submissions and make Soapbox racing fun.

To tie in the brand’s identity with the media strategy, all conventional out-of-home media executions were replaced with, disruptive, unconventional and fun.

Old and abandoned cars were used as unconventional mediums of outdoor advertising tying in the brand’s identity of being disruptive, non-traditional and fun. These abandoned cars were strategically placed in car parks, along roadside and in popular locations such as restaurants and key landmark sites.

The cars were painted up with graffiti that read: I am borrowing your wheels for Red Bull Soapbox Race and will return after I have raced the downhill road. The cars were then plastered with Red Bull Soapbox Race information.

The ambient media drew attention of the Taiwanese and at the same time, became a novel story for TV stations who did a feature on the abandoned cars by following them across Taipei City.

A gigantic shopping wall in the heart of Taipei's Xinmindeng shopping district that was never before monetised was converted into an LED panel, creating a spectacular view.

Taking a hybridised multi-media approach, digital, social, traditional and mobile touch points were combined with branded content, campus activations and celebrity partnerships to attract submissions and draw crowds to the event. Closer to the event, location-based mobile ads were tactically featured along the MRT line to lead spectators to the event venue, thus triggering a drive-to-action.

Red Bull Soapbox Race received tremendous participation with more than 420 submissions, setting a new world record for the race. Of these, 52 brave adventure seekers manning their incredible soapbox creations shaped as bananas, pens, lipsticks and popular cartoon characters raced on the racing day, careening through the jumps, bumps, curves and swerves.

A staggering 55,000 people attended the event - more than even France, the UK or Austria had witnessed. Another 50,000 watched it live on Yahoo! Taiwan. The event received more than 160 media reports including live connections and video reportages, more than what Jeremy Lin, the most popular basketball player received during his visit to Taiwan. Social buzz volume smashed the intended threshold, recording more than 1600% for Soapbox Race.

Red Bull celebrated speed as the fans cheered the brave adventure seekers a la F1 style. But more importantly, Red Bull made an everlasting impression into the hearts and minds of the people of Taiwan by making it a fun weekend for everyone.