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Ground control to Major Elmo—may Big Bird’s luck be with you on your long flight to Europa.
Sesame Street’s big-hearted, red-furred Muppet is one of the terrestrials aboard the Europa Clipper, a NASA spacecraft that’s currently soaring through outer space on a six-year mission to Jupiter’s iciest moon.
But don’t worry, kids: Elmo is aboard the Clipper in name only. Prior to lift-off last October, Sesame Workshop gave NASA the go-ahead to add their furry superstar to the 2 million name-inscribed microchips that are being carried to Europa as a kind of cosmic “message in a bottle.”
That’s the kind of unexpected brand collaboration that makes advertisers—and audiences—sit up and take notice. NASA’s social media manager Stephanie L. Smith is always on the lookout for more out of this world partnerships just like it, particularly those that play well on platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
“Back in the day, we would have press conferences and press releases [for reporters] to take the story out to the people,” Smith told an audience at ADWEEK House Austin during SXSW, speaking on a panel also featuring John Ludeke, senior vice president of global marketing for Dr. Squatch organic soap, and emceed by ADWEEK editor in chief Ryan Joe.
But deep cuts across legacy media outlets and shifting audience habits have led NASA to turn its attention to social media.
“We’re active on all the social platforms, having conversations with the public and trying to tailor the tone, tact, and timing of our messages on those platforms for the people we’re speaking with,” Smith explained.
Ludeke added that Dr. Squatch is also focused on getting consumers to “pay attention” to its products through social-friendly collaborations. “Some of the things we do are designed purely to drive buzz and virality, and are a little bit wild,” he noted, citing a recent team-up with Trojan condoms that included a series of cheeky Facebook ads.
On the other hand, the soap company’s Minecraft collab was decidedly more PG-rated. “That was a great way to go after younger customers—and moms who have kids that are really big fans of Minecraft,” Ludeke said.
To celeb or not to celeb?
As part of the larger discussion around brand collaborations, both Smith and Ludeke addressed the potential and perils that come with bringing celebrities—both of the Muppet and non-Muppet variety—into the mix. On the latter front, Ludeke cautioned that aligning with a big name actor, musician, or athlete can leave your company exposed to the so-called “vampire effect.”
“That’s where the celebrity you’re working with actually overshadows your brand and they can kind of suck the life out of any campaign that you’re running,” he explained, pointing to some of the star-heavy Super Bowl LIX spots as classic examples. “It’s easy to go sign a big check and to have someone really popular in your ad. But the reality is, sometimes people might not care.”
That’s why Dr. Squatch adopts a “methodical” approach to celebrity collabs, with Ludeke spotlighting Sydney Sweeney‘s unveiling as its “Body Wash Genie” last fall—the company’s first female brand ambassador. “We mostly use guys for our celebrity talent, so it was very unexpected,” he said.
Smith says that she and her four-person team at NASA keep their atennae up for celebrities who happen to be “secret space fans.” Case in point: Post Malone. The Sunflower singer reached out to the agency directly to pitch himself for a collaboration, which resulted in a memorable partnership where two astronauts phoned home for a special Earth Day conversation.
“Posty looked like a kid in a candy store,” Smith said with a laugh, referring to the musician by his preferred nickname. “He was so excited to talk to the astronauts and the astronauts were really chuffed that he wanted to talk to them.”
On the rocks
Of course, there is a point at which an “unexpected” collaboration crosses over into “unlikely.” Asked whether NASA would consider teaming up with an edgy brand like Liquid Death for an asteroid-themed campaign, Smith indicated that idea might make the wrong kind of deep impact.
“What you’re looking for is an authentic alignment,” she said. “We would work with a brand who wouldn’t spread fear, because that’s not what we’re trying to do—we’re trying to spread good information.”
Hear that Elmo? NASA’s counting on you to take the good vibes to Europa… and beyond.
