On October 14, 2012, millions of people around the world stopped what they were doing to watch one of the most daring feats ever attempted. As part of the Red Bull Stratos mission, Austrian skydiver Felix Baumgartner ascended to an altitude of 38,969 meters (127,852 feet)—nearly 39 kilometers (24 miles) above Earth—before stepping out of a tiny capsule suspended beneath a massive helium balloon. For a few breathtaking moments, he was the only person standing between space and Earth.

Baumgartner became the first person to break the sound barrier in freefall without the aid of a vehicle, reaching a top speed of 1,357.6 km/h (843.6 mph), or Mach 1.25, before safely parachuting back to the ground. The live broadcast attracted more than 8 million concurrent viewers on YouTube, making it the platform’s biggest live stream at the time and one of the most-watched internet events in history.

For Red Bull, the mission was far more than a publicity stunt. Years of scientific research, engineering, and testing were invested to make the jump possible, contributing valuable data on high-altitude emergency escapes and human performance in the stratosphere. At the same time, the project perfectly embodied the company’s “gives you wings” identity, proving that unforgettable experiences can be far more powerful than traditional advertising.

More than a decade later, Red Bull Stratos is still regarded as one of the greatest examples of content marketing ever created. It blurred the line between science, entertainment, and advertising, transformed a brand into the center of a global event