Companies are always looking for unique ways to promote their products, and those with big pockets tend to think big. Pepsi has enlisted the help of Russian company StartRocket to project an “orbital billboard” in the night sky.
The test campaign involves a cluster of cubesats that are launched into the night sky to project the advertisement, according to Futurism. Pepsi is promoting its energy drink Adrenaline Rush and will gear its campaign “against stereotypes and unjustified prejudices against gamers.”
StartRocket’s goal is to fully launch the system into orbit in 2021. The company is raising funds for the project, and if you’re interested, it’s only $20,000 for eight hours of billboard time.
“We believe in StartRocket potential,” Russian PepsiCo spokesperson Olga Mangova told Futurism. “Orbital billboards are the revolution on the market of communications. That’s why on behalf of Adrenaline Rush — PepsiCo Russia energy non-alcoholic drink, which is brand innovator, and supports everything new, and non-standard — we agreed on this partnership.”
StartRocket revealed its plans to project enormous ads in the night sky earlier this year. The cubesats will be made with Mylar sails that reflect sunlight back to Earth at twilight.
Not everyone is thrilled with the prospect of having the night sky littered with billboards. These days, people are bombarded with ads everywhere they look. Is nothing sacred?
“Launching art projects like this with no commercial, scientific, or national security value seems unwise,” University of Michigan astronomy professor Patrick Seitzer told Astronomy.
One concern is that putting more satellites into low orbit may increase collisions with the current space junk that is polluting the area.
StartRocket has successfully tested the technology using a helium balloon that launched a reflector into space.
“Andy Warhol said: ‘The most beautiful thing in Tokyo is McDonald’s.’ Space has to be beautiful,” StartRocket’s explains on its website. “With the best brands our sky will amaze us every night.”
