Engaging your customers in exploration
Corporate marketers and game developers will have their first opportunity to exploit real lunar exploration with the expeditions now in development at Astrobotic Technology and its partner, Carnegie Mellon University’s Robotics Institute. Because these are not government missions, rights to their content and new ways to participate will be exclusively licensed rather than given away.
A fortunate few corporate marketers will be able to exploit this revolution in space media with high-impact promotions and brand-building. Astrobotic will work with companies to reward their customers with exciting roles in these lunar adventures. Several sponsored contests will be featured in reality-style television series prior to each expedition. And when the first rover lands on the Moon in a worldwide broadcast event, sponsors will see their brand and their customers on center stage.
In addition to the sponsorship opportunities listed below, the path-breaking nature of the Moon shot will spur marketers to devise additional branding and involvement initiatives. Astrobotic will work with sponsors to realize these visions.
Venues and schedule
- Sponsors (and their best customers) have VIP access to the on-going design and test activities at Robot City in Pittsburgh.
- Field trials are planned for lunar-like terrestrial locations, such as ancient lava flows and extreme desert sites. Sponsors’ promotions can select customers to join the robot-testing “away teams” at these exotic locales.
- Launch parties will be held at Florida’s Cape Canaveral, where sponsors will have VIP access to Launch Control as well as outdoor acreage for mass gatherings of customers.
- During the two-week expedition, sponsor executives and their clients will have behind-the-scenes access to Mission Control – and the right to personally drive on the Moon.
Logo placement
Green rectangles indicate some of the potential logo positions on the lander. The green trapezoid indicates logo space available on the rover
On the initial mission, Google and the X Prize Foundation will have 40 percent of all available logo space (subsequent expeditions will not have the GLXP logo). Corporate sponsors will earn logo space on the other 60 percent based upon their financial commitments.
Title Sponsor
The company’s name becomes part of the adventure’s title, such as “The XYZ Moon Trek” or “The XYZ Expedition.” The company also has the right to name the lunar robot, either for the company or via a public contest. The company will have the right to title the Launch Day party at Cape Canaveral, and executives of the title sponsor (and its special customers or vendors) will have two hours collectively to take control of the robot and drive across the lunar surface.
Drive on the Moon
The sponsor will attract customers with a “Drive on the Moon” promotion to select the first person to remotely drive the lunar rover after it rolls off the lander. The winner will have 15 minutes of fame, as his or her exploits are seen worldwide on television and the Web. This sponsorship can be expanded with additional “First Driver” contests that select winners from specific countries to drive on the moon – from the “First Japanese Lunar Driver” to the “First Brazilian Lunar Driver.” In addition, company executives or VIP customers will have 30 minutes (collectively) to drive on the moon.
The lunar driving rights could be controlled by an automotive company, or a gaming company could reward high scores with access to a truly “higher level” of play.
Education
The sponsoring company will have exclusive rights to conduct educational events and promotions for all age groups from kindergarten through graduate school. The company will have the right to offer named Lunar Scholarships and/or Lunar Internships with winners hosted by Astrobotic Technology and Carnegie Mellon University. Astrobotic will work with the education sponsor to provide company-branded educational materials to classrooms, via collaborations with teacher associations. Astrobotic will develop the content for the materials (posters, comics, DVDs, Web sites). The sponsor’s executives and special customers will have 30 minutes collectively to drive on the Moon.
Rocket Reporter
The expedition will combine elements of American Idol with the Amazing race – a competition to find a person with the right talents to communicate the mission’s adventure to the public, as a co-host with a professional presenter. On-air presence combined with quick wit and fast learning ability will be required of the winner. Initial entries come via YouTube-style clips of the presenter involved in a space, robotics or exploration topic. The adventure’s global television and Web feeds will be seen by billions of people, making this contest unprecedented in its ability to propel the winner into worldwide fame.
Communications
The communications sponsor – a network carrier or a handset maker – will control a very exotic promotional event: the ability to send text messages and e-mails via the Moon. During the two weeks of exploration, the rover will have the ability to relay text messages and e-mails “postmarked” with a snapshot of the lunar surface being crossed at the moment of relay. The communications sponsor also can offer exclusive access to its customers to talk to the rover as it explores – the robot will be able to conduct thousands of simultaneous conversations.
Computing
The computing sponsor will be the exclusive source for software that displays the live data being received at Mission Control as the expedition unfolds. This experience can be exclusive to one computer manufacturer’s line or to one operating system. The Mission Control access also provides users with the most HD video from the expedition of any source.
Chief Photographer / Videographer
The photography sponsor can run a promotion to select a customer to become the Chief Photographer and/or Videographer for the expedition. The Chief Photographer will have an “all access pass” to document the terrestrial field trials and Launch Day preparations. During the robot’s lunar expedition, the winner will be in Mission Control to create special shots – taking control of the telephoto camera and directing the robot’s navigators to place it in selected positions.
Music
The expedition offers several music promotions. One songwriter-artist can be selected to premiere a new piece, the first music ever revealed from the surface of another planet. In addition, the expedition can bring a personal music player to the lunar surface, filled with the playlist of a lucky customer. The music player will await its chance to entertain future generations of tourists who come to visit the historic site.
Official suppliers
Technology components selected for the mission will have global exposure to avid followers of advanced initiatives. Select companies will be allowed to use the mission logo in their marketing materials.
Additional information can be secured by contacting President David Gump by email: david.gump@astrobotictech.com.
