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REES SLOAN

There is no truth, only ignorance.
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Member Since: 12/2007Last Seen: 10/22/2009

Advertising is everywhere...and now on the moon?

Live Poll

Would you like to see moon advertising?

  • Sure! I love seeing ads
    16%
  • No way, it would be annoying
    56%
  • Maybe every once in a while
    27%

Total Votes: 55

advertisement

There can be no doubt that beer advertising has often been markedly different from most other marketing tactics. In a fiercely competitive market some companies have often flaunted "good taste" and "quality" while others have created hilarious ads that have almost nothing to do their product. (remember the super bowl and Wazaaaaap?) More often than not the challenge is simply getting the brand name out there and into the public's memory. But one particular company may have topped all previous attempts.

Rolling Rock, produce of Rolling Rock Pale Ale has announced their intentions to advertise on the moon. While it may sound farcical, they've been pushing a comical television commercial campaign to bring public awareness to the historic event. Nighttime on March 21st, it has been announced, is their first official attempt.

The schematics of space advertising are simple. Find a suitably large heavenly body (the moon) and beam a powerful laser at it displaying the company's logo. While theoretically possible, astronomy experts disagree as to whether Rolling Rock could pull off such a stunt.

There are two main problems with their plan: for one, the laser would have to be incredibly powerful just to reach the moon and reflect back visible light. Such lasers do exist, but are they commercially available? Whats more is that Rolling Rock apparently expects their logo to fill up the moon. Shining a concentrated dot on the moon is one thing, but spreading out the logo over half of the entire surface and expecting to see it is sheer ludicrous.

And to add another nail in this moonvertising coffin, they've scheduled to do it at the worst possible time--during a full moon. Our brilliant sun shines out and illuminates the moon quite well at night. So much that, when positioned directly behind the earth, the "full" moon becomes the brightest object in the night sky, able to cast shadows on objects on earth. Rolling Rock essentially needs a laser brighter than the sun to outshine the light that's already there.

Their best bet would have been to shoot the laser at a "new" or dark moon. The dark canvas would be much more likely to show the light. But this would be more difficult, because new moons often appear in tandem with the sun. So in a nutshell, don't be so quick to believe the hype.

At the very best, in all unlikelihood, you might be able to see a very pale green reflection of the Rolling Rock logo. More likely than not, you won't see anything at all. But all this mere talk about "moonvertising" has some questioning whether or not its ethical to advertise on the moon. Now I know you're thinking, 'What? an ethical argument about the moon? Now I've heard of everything." Seriously though, consider the implications.

I can't deny that advertising on the moon is impossible, and some day in the future we could see a form of it. But the moon is on display for all the world to see, who's to dictate WHAT is advertised or even said? Imagine having a romantic evening with your date while the moon is obscured by an ad for preparation-H. A beam of light could be directed from anywhere, political messages, racial slurs, idiotic advertisements...the only thing stopping someone from plastering messages on the moon is someone with a more powerful laser.

And perhaps most importantly, any kind of fantastic laser-light display (of advertising) simply detracts from the natural beauty of our closest neighbor in space. But how many of us, can say that the dazzling night moon is something we even pay attention to anymore? In much the same way as the invention of the light bulb--while not necessarily a bad thing--has destroyed our view of the night sky, moonvertising may be first step in our destruction of the natural beauty of space.

moonvertising.com

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{"commentId":1595170,"authorDomain":"rsloan"}

Don't forget to check out the next full moon this March 21st!

{"commentId":1595170,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"rsloan"}
  • 1 vote
Reply#1 - Wed Mar 19, 2008 2:07 AM EDT
{"commentId":1595490,"authorDomain":"bigmomma"}

If this gets started and works it will be the saddest day ever! I can't even imagine what it might be like! There ought to be a law against it!

{"commentId":1595490,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"bigmomma"}
  • 2 votes
Reply#2 - Wed Mar 19, 2008 7:11 AM EDT
{"commentId":1596118,"authorDomain":"rsloan"}

I almost agree with you. Countries can define their own laws of course, but this is an issue that can't be globally banned by any nation. A laser can be beamed from anywhere on earth (or space). You can't stop someone from moonvertising any more than the U.S. could have stopped the Russians from launching Sputnik.

{"commentId":1596118,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"rsloan"}
  • 2 votes
#2.1 - Wed Mar 19, 2008 10:55 AM EDT
{"commentId":2000450,"authorDomain":"jon-6"}

Anyone opposed could create an organization which would find support to fundraise to build a laser scrambler that would be activated whenever someone projected anything on the moon. It would render any message instantly useless. I think there are too many moon lovers for this to work as a global billboard. If Rolling Rock succeeds they will loose some customers forever.

{"commentId":2000450,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"jon-6"}
    #2.2 - Thu Jun 19, 2008 1:37 AM EDT
    Reply
    {"commentId":1596219,"authorDomain":"quixiotic"}

    Hey, didn't Ted Turner want to colorize the moon?

    {"commentId":1596219,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"quixiotic"}
    • 2 votes
    Reply#3 - Wed Mar 19, 2008 11:17 AM EDT
    {"commentId":1608413,"authorDomain":"im-so-awsome"}

    today, march 22 and i am the first to reply the truth on the internet.... FAKE!!!! i was up till 5:00 AM and no laser moon i even used realy good benoculars!!!!!

    rollin rock u sux

    {"commentId":1608413,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"im-so-awsome"}
    • 2 votes
    Reply#4 - Sat Mar 22, 2008 12:48 PM EDT
    {"commentId":1611566,"authorDomain":"rsloan"}

    Haha too funny. I doubt we cuold have seen it even if they tried. The worst part was, they really must have shelled out some dough to go to all this advertising. I've seen billboards around town, commercials on TV, and apparently so have alot of other people. Why would you go to all this trouble to pull of a hoax?

    Maybe they'll take my advice and try it at the next new moon.

    {"commentId":1611566,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"rsloan"}
    • 1 vote
    #4.1 - Sun Mar 23, 2008 3:51 PM EDT
    Reply
    {"commentId":1698311,"authorDomain":"piratepepp"}

    Your dismissal of an ethical arguement about moonvertising was shallow and unencompassing of what could be lost here. You dismissed it as something a finatic would do, rather than any reasonable person. Advertising has encroached on every aspect of our lives, ads are everywhere! There is a huge problem with the assumption that companies may think they have the right to pollute the moon as well. The moon is a spiritual, nuetral symbol in the sky, soothing and reflecting the wonder of the universe. I don't think that rolling rock or anyone else has the right to pollute the minds, vision and the moon itself with it's advertising. I don't really expect you to understand, but it should be said none the less. Besides, beyond the huge ethical problems with this, Rolling rock isn't even a good beer, it sucks, maybe they should spend more time brewing better beer and less time trying to scheme polluting everything that's beautiful and pure.

    {"commentId":1698311,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"piratepepp"}
      Reply#5 - Wed Apr 16, 2008 11:47 AM EDT
      {"commentId":1700830,"authorDomain":"rsloan"}

      Wow Candace, I never imagined that someone could misread the thesis of my article, try to rebuke me for taking such a stand that never existed, and then restate my own conclusions while sounding like a total fool in the process.

      I'm guessing you only paid attention to the first half of the article, because your analysis is just flat our wrong. I'm now going to disseminate every factual statement you just made and point out your hypocrisy.

      "Your dismissal of an ethical arguement about moonvertising was shallow and unencompassing of what could be lost here." -First of all, it's spelled A-R-G-U-M-E-N-T, not arguement. And I'm sorry but I didn't DISMISS the ethical argument, I freaking POSED the question so my readers could think about it. "who's to dictate WHAT is advertised or even said?" (And by the way, unencompassing is not even a word)

      "You dismissed it as something a finatic would do, rather than any reasonable person." -it's spelled F-A-N-A-T-I-C, not finatic, there's a little button called "check spelling" you should use next time. And secondly if you think I'm a fanatic for writing an informative and opinionated article on a new advertising process, you should read the tabloids more often and take up beef with their writers.

      "Advertising has encroached on every aspect of our lives, ads are everywhere!" - Just because this statement is true, it has no bearing on the validity of your argument, which is why I didn't make this statement in my article.

      "There is a huge problem with the assumption that companies may think they have the right to pollute the moon as well." - Fortunately for me, I didn't make this assumption, and if you can find it anywhere in the article where I said "companies have the right to advertise on the moon" I'll gladly pay you $100.

      "The moon is a spiritual, nuetral symbol in the sky, soothing and reflecting the wonder of the universe." - SPEAKING of assumptions, this "statement" is full of them. You assume that A) because some people consider the moon a spiritual symbol then it is universally defined as one, B) as a neutral symbol; the moon never presents itself as a beneficial or harmful symbol to anyone, (think of the 2nd monthly blue moon giving people the idea of luck or the blood red eclipsed moon striking fear into the hearts of some.) C) Because of these aforementioned fallible statements then the moon must be both universally soothing and the universe wonderful. If these are your personal opinions then that's fine, but don't even talk to me about the error of assumptions. (And by the way, its spelled neutral, not nuetral)

      "I don't think that rolling rock or anyone else has the right to pollute the minds, vision and the moon itself with it's advertising." - not a statement but an opinion, and something I would agree with in the tone of my writing. Unfortunately for you, you've adamantly argued against my own opinion which is really equivalent with your own.

      "I don't really expect you to understand, but it should be said none the less." - Kind of ironic to say when it's you, yourself, who really doesn't understand the implications of you're own words.

      "Besides, beyond the huge ethical problems with this..." - Wow... again, you're trying to argue against me using the same reasoning that I've already posted to support myself. Indeed I wrote: "But all this mere talk about "moonvertising" has some questioning whether or not its ethical to advertise on the moon."

      "...Rolling rock isn't even a good beer, it sucks..." - And by injecting this, it leads me to believe that you've taken a biased approach to constructing your argument and would not have held the same reservations had we been talking about a different product.

      And finally, In the last part of my writing, the part where the writer usually draws his conclusions, I say: "moonvertising may be first step in our destruction of the natural beauty of space." I'm going to couple this with your final statement that says: "Maybe they should spend more time brewing better beer and less time trying to scheme polluting everything that's beautiful and pure."

      Given the above evidence I'm going to ascertain that we have essentially the same thoughts on this matter, except I have a much less biased more intelligent way of saying it.

      Essentially what you've done is construct a "Straw Man Argument" that falls victim to the "appeal to ridicule." I don't really expect you to understand, but it's a type of logical fallacy, look it up.

      And the next time you want to lay into a writer on newsvine who's presenting his opinion in a lighthearted and insightful way...don't.

      {"commentId":1700830,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"rsloan"}
      • 2 votes
      #5.1 - Wed Apr 16, 2008 10:00 PM EDT
      {"commentId":4940453,"authorDomain":"apatheticangel87"}
      NikkolitaDeleted
      {"commentId":4945128,"authorDomain":"rsloan"}

      Swear words are not tolerated

      {"commentId":4945128,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"rsloan"}
        #5.3 - Thu Jan 22, 2009 11:32 AM EST
        Reply
        {"commentId":9745128,"authorDomain":"meerkatfish"}

        Advertising is now possible and without the need for lasers. www.milliondollarmoon.com

        {"commentId":9745128,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"meerkatfish"}
          Reply#6 - Mon Sep 28, 2009 8:18 AM EDT
          {"commentId":9891020,"authorDomain":"rsloan"}

          a rehash of million dollar homepage...nice. And if you ever bought something from million dollar homepage,you'll remember just how well those advertisers spent their money.

          {"commentId":9891020,"threadId":"236724","contentId":"1375821","authorDomain":"rsloan"}
            #6.1 - Mon Oct 5, 2009 6:30 PM EDT
            Reply
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