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Pepsi Says It'll Use an Artificial Constellation, Hung in the Night Sky Next To the Stars, To Promote an Energy Drink (futurism.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

A Russian company called StartRocket says it's going to launch a cluster of cubesats into space that will act as an "orbital billboard," projecting enormous advertisements into the night sky like artificial constellations. And its first client, it says, will be PepsiCo -- which will use the system to promote a "campaign against stereotypes and unjustified prejudices against gamers" on behalf of an energy drink called Adrenaline Rush, reports Futurism. From the report: Yeah, the project sounds like an elaborate prank. But Russian PepsiCo spokesperson Olga Mangova confirmed to Futurism that the collaboration is real. "We believe in StartRocket potential," she wrote in an email. "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."

12 of 318 comments (clear)

  1. No. Just no. by xSander · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Go away. Don't pollute our beautiful skies like that.

    1. Re:No. Just no. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      If they do this, I promise never ever to buy anything from Pepsi corporation again.

      Not just polluting the view for everyone in the planet, they would also add more of pointless pace junk which can break useful satellites and therefore harm navigation, communication and scientific research.

    2. Re:No. Just no. by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 5, Insightful

      If they do this, I promise never ever to buy anything from Pepsi corporation again.

      Not just polluting the view for everyone in the planet, they would also add more of pointless pace junk which can break useful satellites and therefore harm navigation, communication and scientific research.

      I would join you in the boycott... if I bought anything from Pepsi in the first place. I don't drink soda, or lipton; I almost never eat fast food, so me boycotting KFC and TacoBell, and any other Pepsi owned chains over this won't help.

      I will however sign any petition over banning this, and write to my local representatives asking they put a stop to this if this comes to fruition. This may be a harmless one-off for them, but if it is successful and other companies follow suit the night sky could quickly become a trashland of light pollution... I don't want to start down that trail.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
    3. Re:No. Just no. by thermopile · · Score: 5, Informative
      Arthur C. Clarke beat them to this: read the short story called "Watch This Space", where almost exactly this was performed ... by a soda company ... except they did it on the moon. In 1956.

      It was amusing (and pretty good) as a sci-fi short story. It's terrifying as "reality."

      --

      "Diplomacy is something you do until you find a rock." --Richard Pound

    4. Re:No. Just no. by butchersong · · Score: 5, Interesting

      This is ultimate result of abandoning things lofty things like beauty and truth as foundations of society and replacing it with what... consumerism? Capitalism? I've spent my whole life as a hard-core republican but lately, the old free market this and libertarian that mantras just leave me feeling empty and dissatisfied.

    5. Re:No. Just no. by supremebob · · Score: 5, Funny

      Ah, man... they own Cheetos? That's it, boycott is over. They can cover up the big dipper with a giant Mt. Dew ad for all I care, I'm not giving those up.

    6. Re:No. Just no. by alvinrod · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I looked over it and there were some brands on there that I wasn't aware of Pepsi owning (mostly a few of the snack food brands) but I also realized that there isn't a product on that list that a person couldn't get from someone else or just do without entirely. In fact, you'd probably be better off if you never bought products from almost all of those brands to begin with for health reasons.

  2. Bring in India! by Errol+backfiring · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear space organization in India, There is a new target for you. Please fire at will. A space billboard already is space junk.

    --
    Nae king! Nae laird! Nae yurrupiean pressedent! We willna be fooled again!
  3. Re:You can hear the Astronomers screaming by Type44Q · · Score: 5, Insightful

    And on a personal note, if I ever needed a reason to boycott PepsiCo products, there it is.

    Boycott every fucking thing they make just for thinking that this might be a good idea.

  4. Re:You can hear the Astronomers screaming by Opportunist · · Score: 5, Insightful

    That they consider something like that is enough.

    --
    We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  5. Yes, do it! by EvilSS · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I'd love to see this. It's a pretty neat technological achievement if it works. So yea, I say do it. Show the world what it's capable of so we can all see it. I think it would be pretty damn neat to see.


    Then ban the shit out of it at the international level and force them to de-orbit their sats, so we don't have to ever see it again. Once was plenty.

    --
    I browse on +1 so AC's need not respond, I won't see it.
  6. A short story by SuperKendall · · Score: 5, Interesting

    They looked on the beautiful night sky, pointing out to each other the constellations they knew, admiring the band of the Milky Way as it swept across the inky night sky.

    But all go things must come to an end, they had to get up early to polish the shipping drones for tomorrows run. They stood up, and removed the augmented reality goggles.

    Looking up again, one of them thought he could maybe see Orion peeking out from behind the neon cup-o-noodles constellation and northen lighting shading effects, but then it was gone as the remaining colors of the night sky washed over his eyes competing for attention.

    --
    "There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley