By drawing on this idea of using familiar forms with cutting-edge function, the modern space program could much more effectively market new missions like colonizing Mars. My conceptualization of a retro-themed infographic highlighting the benefits of going to Mars is one such example of how this can be achieved. The content draws strongly on the rhetoric of former NASA administrator Charles Bolden’s speech “Mars Matters” in which he offers tangible reasons why a Mars mission is beneficial to people on Earth. This is an incredibly powerful statement in vying for public support given that a major reason public interest waned after Apollo was the belief there was nothing to be gained from going to space aside from a couple of moon rocks and footprints
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The most intriguing manifestation of this I found was through the ads consumer brands ran identifying their involvement with the space program. Most notably, it seems the pride of being able to say their product, whether frozen dinners from Stouffer’s or watches from Omega, had been space-qualified to NASA standards propelled these ads. This would give consumers an extra boost of confidence since the “NASA brand” is well associated with extensive, high-reliability testing. Furthermore, particularly for an everyday brand like Stouffer’s, such an ad continued to remind people of the space missions and implicitly hint that by purchasing their products, they were supporting the nation’s space program. Today, Stouffer ads are much more focused on healthy eating as one might expect, as they attempt to keep up with concerns about dieting, obesity, and American health. Omega, however, has also adopted a stance of retro branding, marketing their 60th anniversary “Moonwatch” with a special video from the NASA engineer who tested the watch candidates and reveled in how well Omega’s watch stood up to the same tests flight hardware did. This infusion of space marketing into consumer products serves an important and beneficial role as companies …show more content…
One video about their proposed Interplanetary Transport System showcases renderings of their rockets and capsules that would supposedly transport the first humans to colonize Mars. It feels more like a sci-fi action movie with dramatic, electronic music in the background, sleek artistry and text, and a climactic build up to a capsule landing on Mars. Even though everything in this video is an artistic render and SpaceX still has quite some ways to go before being ready for a mission to Mars, it has clearly captured the public’s attention, accruing over 4 million views and almost 11,000 comments on YouTube alone in just six months. A NASA video published nearly three years ago describing their proposed “Mission to Mars” has, in contrast, seen just over 160,000 views and around 200 comments. The difference? The NASA video sounds and feels more like a documentary meets airline safety video that is ultimately uninspiring and lacks the ephemeral quality of SpaceX’s video, despite NASA’s ability to showcase actual hardware they’ve already sent to Mars, namely rovers. SpaceX’s take meanwhile truly sells its audience through an experience that takes after consumer technology marketing videos. Rather than just aiming to inform, it aims to inspire and excite, and that has made all the difference. Jay A. Conger of McGill
The most intriguing manifestation of this I found was through the ads consumer brands ran identifying their involvement with the space program. Most notably, it seems the pride of being able to say their product, whether frozen dinners from Stouffer’s or watches from Omega, had been space-qualified to NASA standards propelled these ads. This would give consumers an extra boost of confidence since the “NASA brand” is well associated with extensive, high-reliability testing. Furthermore, particularly for an everyday brand like Stouffer’s, such an ad continued to remind people of the space missions and implicitly hint that by purchasing their products, they were supporting the nation’s space program. Today, Stouffer ads are much more focused on healthy eating as one might expect, as they attempt to keep up with concerns about dieting, obesity, and American health. Omega, however, has also adopted a stance of retro branding, marketing their 60th anniversary “Moonwatch” with a special video from the NASA engineer who tested the watch candidates and reveled in how well Omega’s watch stood up to the same tests flight hardware did. This infusion of space marketing into consumer products serves an important and beneficial role as companies …show more content…
One video about their proposed Interplanetary Transport System showcases renderings of their rockets and capsules that would supposedly transport the first humans to colonize Mars. It feels more like a sci-fi action movie with dramatic, electronic music in the background, sleek artistry and text, and a climactic build up to a capsule landing on Mars. Even though everything in this video is an artistic render and SpaceX still has quite some ways to go before being ready for a mission to Mars, it has clearly captured the public’s attention, accruing over 4 million views and almost 11,000 comments on YouTube alone in just six months. A NASA video published nearly three years ago describing their proposed “Mission to Mars” has, in contrast, seen just over 160,000 views and around 200 comments. The difference? The NASA video sounds and feels more like a documentary meets airline safety video that is ultimately uninspiring and lacks the ephemeral quality of SpaceX’s video, despite NASA’s ability to showcase actual hardware they’ve already sent to Mars, namely rovers. SpaceX’s take meanwhile truly sells its audience through an experience that takes after consumer technology marketing videos. Rather than just aiming to inform, it aims to inspire and excite, and that has made all the difference. Jay A. Conger of McGill