$-$ The final frontier: Space Advertisement

We know that the world of marketing communications is going through a time of great upheaval.

And while there has been valuable discussion$$and action$$around how agencies must

transform to meet the rapidly changing needs of clients, an important accelerator of our evolution

has gone largely untapped. Space.

Today, many of the most innovative, fastest$-$growing, and technologically advanced companies

in the world have set their sights on outer space. Whether it is newcomers or legacy companies,

the private sector is taking the reigns of space travel and exploration from government

agencies$$and business is booming.

Companies have been trying to commercialize space, including advertisements, since the $1960$s$.$

Space advertising is the use of advertising in outer space or related to space flight. While there

have only been a few examples of successful marketing campaigns, there have been several

proposals to advertise in space, some even planning to launch giant billboards visible from the

Earth. Obtrusive space advertising is the term used for such ventures.

The Outer Space Treaty, formally the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of

States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial

Bodies, is a treaty that forms the basis of international space law. In $2019,109$ countries signed

the agreement. It claims no nation may claim sovereignty over outer space or any celestial body.

The Outer Space Treaty was considered by the Legal Subcommittee in $1966,$ and agreement was

reached in the General Assembly in the same year $($ resolution $2222($XXI$)).$ The Treaty was

largely based on the Declaration of Legal Principles Governing the Activities of States in the

Exploration and Use of Outer Space, which had been adopted by the General Assembly in its

resolution $1962($XVIII$)$ in $1963$ but added a few new provisions. Article VI of the Outer Space

Treaty deals with international responsibility, stating that "the activities of non$-$governmental

entities in outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, shall require authorization

and continuing supervision by the appropriate State Party to the Treaty" and that States Parties

shall bear international responsibility for national space activities whether carried out by

governmental or non$-$governmental entities.

A Georgia$-$based marketing company called Space Marketing came up with the idea of space

billboards. They would be placed in space and would project an image $($company logo$,$ etc.$)$ the

size of the moon on the atmosphere and be seen by everyone. After $30$ days, it would fall back to

the earth and burn up in the atmosphere. The US Congress outlawed the billboards and passed a

bill to prevent space advertisements. Yet other nations may not have the same vision of a clean

sky environment.

In $2019,$ NASA opened the International Space Station $($ISS$)$ for space advertising and other

short$-$duration commercial activities conducted by private companies' crews. Even Pepsi $(1996)$

paid approximately US$$5$ million to have a cosmonaut float a replica of the company's soda can

outside the Russian space station. Pizza Hut $(2000)$ paid approximately US$$1$ million for a space

ad with their logo painted on a rocket.

Commercialization of space by private companies is underway!

Discuss this case in terms of our class discussions, decision$-$making models, and risk assessment

for Starbucks. Some questions you may want to consider are.

$1.$ Are there ethical issues with advertising in outer space that infringe on rights and visual

privacy?

$2.$ What were the potential risks international risks associated with this case?

$3.$ Were there any decision$-$making models or core values that may come into play with

advertising in space?

$4.$ Is the notion of $$someone is going to do it so we may as well beat them to it$$ applicable

to intrusive advertisement.