Billboards in space, advertising products, do sound farfetched. However this is indeed going to become a reality very soon. PepsiCo a leading energy drink company in alliance with StarRocket a Russian advertising company would soon make the execution of these ‘orbital billboards’ a reality. PepsiCo plans to project their advertisement for one of their products – Adrenaline Rush – in the sky resembling constellations. According to the company the advertisements are sure to attract people across the globe with space as the backdrop.
The advertisement is planned to be projected via cubesats – miniature satellites made up of cubic units that consist of multiples – in clusters which would be launched in space that would reflect these advertisements. These cubesats with the help of mylar sails will replicate sunlight in twilight hours both during mornings and evenings. PepsiCo a company known for its innovation has leaped further with this initiative and has paved a way for others in the marketing field.
As per the reports from PepsiCo a leading brand in the non-alcoholic energy drink sector, the Russian Company StarRocket would be behind the execution of this maiden project. Though there are many doubts about the reality of the project, the spokesperson of PepsiCo Olga Mangova has confirmed the news to be true.
The energy drink Adrenaline Rush – a product of PepsiCo – is the brand to be taken up by StarRocket. Olga Mangova in her written statement has expressed her confidence in StarRocket and considers that Orbital Advertisements are the next revolution in the advertisement market. PepsiCo has always been innovative and has broken existing norms to create a trend in the market according to the spokesperson which is why they have given their nod for collaboration with StarRocket.
Vlad Sitnikov, the project leader for these Billboards, states that a society is based on its economy. He considers that entertainment and advertisements play a leading role in society. Brands are what make the people according to him.
Sitnikov claims that this project has already been tested with the help of helium balloons. These helium balloons were used to project reflectors in the space. The mission was successful according to him.
PepsiCo says that the project will become a reality in the year 2021. Moreover further news from them states that, in order to get an eight-hour schedule of projecting one advertisement in the space, an amount of $20,000 has to be invested.
As exciting as it sounds, there are voices against the use of advertisements in space from many corners. Many people are against the idea of advertisements occupying space resulting in entering the private space of people. Some consider that even if the advertisement is launched it should be removed and the removal of such advertisements should be legal.
A person who expressed his concern about this project says that AI is used for getting information across novels that are dystopian in nature for converting ideas into plans that are purely disastrous and commercial in nature.
Researchers have also conveyed their dissatisfaction on this announcement. Astronomy Professor Patrick Seitzer considers this project to be totally unwise as it posed a threat to many aspects of life.