Science

Pepsi drops plans to use orbital billboard
by Jeff Foust
April 16, 2019



StartRocket proposed to deploy satellites capable of displaying corporate logos or other advertising visible from the ground. Credit: StartRocket

WASHINGTON — A major soft drink company says it will not pursue plans to advertise its products in space using a Russian startup, avoiding what likely would have been significant public criticism.

The publication Futurism reported April 13 that PepsiCo’s Russian subsidiary was working with a startup there called StartRocket to advertise an energy drink called “Adrenaline Rush” using satellites. The company has proposed flying a set of small satellites in formation, reflecting sunlight with Mylar sails to create logos or other advertising messages visible from the ground after sunset and before sunrise.

In one illustration on StartRocket’s website, a logo of a fictional soft drink company, “LocaCola,” is visible in the night sky over a city. “Space has to be beautiful. With the best brands our sky will amaze us every night,” the website states.

Olga Mangova, a spokesperson for PepsiCo Russia, told Futurism that the company had agreed to partner with StartRocket on an orbital advertising campaign. “Orbital billboards are the revolution on the market of communications,” she said.

More:
https://spacenews.com/pepsi-drops-plans-to-use-orbital-billboard/