Brands: Biggest wins, most epic fails

Felix Baumgartner jumps out of a balloon from 39km in the air, breaking the sound barrier and setting a new world record in the process. (AP Photo/Red Bull Stratos) Source: AP

It's tough for brands out there.

While once it was enough to create a slick ad to spruik your product, savvy shoppers and social media now mean ad campaigns can take on a life of their own.

"You can't pull the wool over people eyes anymore," said Nicola Swankie, who is the social media director for ad agency Leo Burnett in Sydney.

"If a brand is saying something that isn't 100 per cent correct people can call them on it. Tipping that on its head, when a brand does something good it's received well and people talk about it. They can get more time in the media by doing something people talk about it and want to pass on to their friends."

With that in mind, we've created a list of some of the best and worst social media moments. Tell us what you think in the comments below.

Win: Red Bull Stratos This "mission to the edge of space" saw Austrian Felix Baumgartner travel 39kms into the air in a helium filled-balloon, before jumping out in a nine-minute fall where he broke the speed of sound, travelling at over 1,300km per hour and setting a new world record in the process.

Red Bull

Pilot Felix Baumgartner and technical project director Art Thompson celebrate after landing the flight in Roswell, New Mexico on October 14, 2012. (AP Photo/Red Bull Stratos) Source: AP

It was five years in the making, involving world class engineers and scientists who researched how the body performs under extreme situations. Red Bull aren't saying how much it cost, but estimate the live broadcast was watched by around 8 million, with 52 million views on the YouTube channel over the course of the event.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/companies/battle-of-the-brands/story-fnda1bsz-1226653801031#ixzz2UyHxHZUXgoogle.com