MUMBAI: Red Bull India has been pushing the boundaries of innovation and documenting alternative culture through their unique and original initiatives and with Bombay Duck Designs, this project has taken another leap. The drink of music festivals in India has been packaged differently this season. The festive can is Red Bull’s initiative to make a traditional festival experience more contemporary through virtual reality.

Red Bull India launched a Limited Edition Concept Can along with a Virtual Reality pack to elevate the festive experience. Red Bull is the first FMCG brand in India to launch a Virtual Reality Pack.  One can dive into an animated 360 world of festivals through the virtual reality experience.

The limited edition-celebration cans are available pan India at retail stores from the second week of September until the fourth week of October. Big Bazaar, Hypercity, Spar, and Spencers Retail are some names in the modern retail space and Bigbasket and Grofers in the online shopping category where the limited edition, Red Bull celebration can SKUs will be available. The price of each SKU is as follows: Red Bull Energy Drink 250ml – Rs. 110, Red Bull Energy Drink four PACK – Rs. 410 and Red Bull Energy Drink VR six PACK: Rs. 600.

In an attempt to creatively bring to life festive sights and experiences that one relates to, Red Bull has roped in renowned visual Artist Sameer Kulavoor to design the Celebration Can with a series of graphic art illustrations.

Speaking about the collaboration Sameer said, “Red Bull approached me a year back to design the first-ever limited edition of the celebration can. We proposed to create a design that would be representative of how we celebrate in our country. The way celebration makes its way to our streets. The energy and enthusiasm are palpable. So we decided to depict the idea of celebration as a pattern on the Redbull Can. This resulting design is more about the diversity and inclusivity (and of course dynamism) of celebration in India as opposed to roots, values, faith, religion, etc. It is about core human values than about the idea of communities and tradition.”

He also added, “Celebration is just one aspect that represents the energy and dynamism of our country. During festivals we see celebration all amplified - the sights and sounds. But it is not limited to festivals - for e.g. when India won the Cricket World Cup at Wankhede in 2011 the city (and country) was on the streets, you know? People bursting crackers or serving biryani and sweets can be a certain festival but you can also see it at weddings, cricket victories, even political wins. It is just how we choose to celebrate.”

Explaining the idea behind the designing he said, “The main brief was to design the Can. During the first few meetings we were discussing ways to extend the idea. The can itself was a limited canvas to depict the extent of the idea. So we made a suggestion to Red Bull that it would be great to create a magnum opus - a loaded illustrated panorama to showcase how the elements depicted on the can actually thrive and how does it all play out in an imagined landscape. Besides the limited edition Celebration Can, a pack of four cans is also available, as is a special Virtual Reality 6 Pack which comes equipped with a pair of virtual reality glasses allowing the entire packaging to transform into an easy-to-create VR set-up.”

Sameer and his crew at Bombay Duck Designs, were involved in all stages of this exercise that we began planning a year back. They designed the four - can pack, the six - can pack and the VR glasses loosely based on the international Red Bull format. They also designed a special influencer kit for the launch of the Can in India.

Click the link below and dive into VR experience

http://celebration.redbull.in

Red Bull India also organises events like Red Bull Jod Ke Tod (around Dahi Handi festival) and Red Bull Kite Fight (around Makar Sankranti).