Red Bull paid $13M to settle the claim that it doesn't give you wings

A US consumer class action argued that Red Bull's famous slogan and its supporting claims were deceptive: the drink, plaintiffs said, offered no more benefit than a cup of coffee, while its advertising promised increased performance, concentration and reaction speed without scientific support. The claims, the suit held, were not mere puffery but specific and testable.

In October 2014 Red Bull settled for more than $13 million, with $6.5 million to be paid into a settlement fund within a week of court approval. Anyone in the US who had bought Red Bull since 1 January 2002 could claim a $10 cheque or roughly $15 in free product. The company stated it settled 'to avoid the cost and distraction of litigation' while maintaining that its marketing and labeling 'have always been truthful and accurate', denying wrongdoing.

The case became the standard example of where puffery ends: a slogan may be a joke, but the performance claims stitched onto it are read as facts, and the longer they run, the larger the class that can sue on them.