Several brands jumped on India’s successful lunar mission – Chandrayaan 3, for moment marketing, including memes. But there’s deeper ways to leverage space missions. These examples show how brands have cleverly used space missions to capture people’s imagination and promote their products or services.
LEGO and Space Sets: LEGO has released space-themed sets for decades, including ones inspired by real-life space missions. LEGO also released a set featuring four women who made significant contributions to NASA’s space programs. The Women of NASA set celebrated pioneering women and encouraged interest in both space and STEM fields.
Tang and NASA: Tang became famous for being associated with early NASA space missions like the Gemini missions in the sixties. Although it wasn’t originally created for space travel, Tang’s connection to astronauts helped boost its popularity and perpetuated the myth that NASA created Tang.
Omega and Moonwatch: Omega was worn by astronauts during the Apollo missions, and the watchmaker’s Speedmaster watch earned the nickname “Moonwatch.” This association with space exploration turned it into an iconic timepiece.
Red Bull Stratos Jump: Red Bull sponsored the Stratos Jump in 2012, where Felix Baumgartner skydived from the edge of space, breaking multiple records. The event generated a lot of attention and was a pivotal moment in Red Bull’s journey of building a daring and adventurous brand image.
GoPro and Stratospheric Jump: GoPro cameras were used to capture Baumgartner’s Stratospheric Jump, showcasing the brand’s ability to capture extreme and unique moments.
Pepsi and Space Can: In the 1980s, PepsiCo considered sending a specially designed can into space with the help of the Soviet Union. While the plan didn’t go through, it created a lot of buzz and excitement around the brand.
Audi and Lunar Quattro: Audi developed a lunar rover called Lunar Quattro that was featured in the movie “Alien: Covenant.” This highlighted Audi’s innovation and futuristic design.
Kit Kat Space Break: Kit Kat created a promotional campaign called “Space Break” where they sent a Kit Kat bar to the edge of space using a weather balloon. This playful stunt tied into their “Have a break, have a Kit Kat” slogan.
Google and Moon Prize: Google’s Lunar XPRIZE challenged private companies to land a robotic rover on the Moon. The competition was aimed at encouraging innovation and was widely covered in the media.
Coca-Cola and Space Can: In 1985, Coca-Cola created a special can that could dispense soda in the weightlessness of space. They conducted tests with NASA’s Space Shuttle to showcase their innovative approach to packaging.
Cadbury and Space: In 1984, Cadbury sent a chocolate bar called the “ChocoBar” into space on the Space Shuttle Challenger. The experiment aimed to study the effects of space travel on the chocolate, and it marked a playful and innovative approach to marketing.
SpaceX and Tesla Roadster: In 2018, SpaceX launched a Tesla Roadster into space as part of the maiden flight of the Falcon Heavy rocket. This attention-grabbing stunt highlighted both SpaceX’s capabilities and Elon Musk’s affiliation with both companies.
Tic Tac space vessel: At the height of the billionaire space race in 2021, Tic Tac sent a custom vessel into space that transmitted messages submitted by consumers to help make connections with extraterrestrials. The vessel was also filled with limited edition packs and entered orbit with the help of aerospace company Sent into Space, the world leader in high altitude balloon flights.