[Seds-announce] Can You Write a Better Slogan for NASA?

[Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides]

My latest post on Wired needs your help getting the word out!  Pass it on
and take 15 minutes out to come up with your own slogan!- Go to
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/can-you-write-a.html#more
to read the submissions and submit your own!
THX!!!! Loretta

In early August, NASA internally
released<http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=24970>its latest
marketing campaign, designed to show its relevance and value to
the American people. Its new slogan? "NASA explores for answers that power
our future." The campaign now seems to be aborted, but it did get me
thinking, could we do any better?

I am no marketing genius, but I think that we could. I mean North Face's has
much more zing, "Never Stop Exploring." Even Dow *Chemicals* did better,
"The Human Element."

Now, I know that NASA does not have the massive budget that these companies
do to hire super star advertising execs. I also know that a lot of people at
NASA put a lot of time and thought into this new campaign and so I don't
want to criticize it without offering up some constructive alternatives.
Therefore, I am turning to cyberspace and the power of
crowdsourcing<http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.06/crowds.html>to
come up with some alternatives to offer them. One of the issues they
cite
in their market
research<http://www.spaceref.com/news/viewsr.html?pid=24646>is a
challenge being relevant to people 18-24.  Maybe we could help.  I
will
even throw in prizes.

The writer of the best slogan will get a DVD of the space movie of their
choice, From the Earth to the Moon, Star Wars, Battlestar Galactica, etc and
will be interviewed for a follow up posting on what it takes to engage the
public with space. Other noteworthy submission will get other small space
swag.

For reference, the previous NASA slogan, under the previous Administrator
(new Administrator, new slogan) was "Explore, Discover, Understand."
Although it seemed a little dry at the time, it now seems light years ahead.
It at least it honored the 'under four words' rule (ok there is not really
an under four words rule).

The NASA plan is more then just a slogan however, it also includes a blue
triangle and the equation "Innovation + Inspiration + Discovery = Future."
I am not interested in mocking what was done, I am actually interested to
see if in three weeks time, the collective power of the wired generation can
create something that actually moves, touches and inspires people. To see if
we can craft something that appeals to the public, that speaks to them and
has them want to make sure that we Never Stop Exploring.

If you are on board say aye!

Submissions should be posted as comments by Sept 28th.  Please do not
comment on each others submissions until after the winner is announced on
October 1st. If you don't like someone's suggestion make your own! It is
easier to destroy then to create. Spread the word, the I throwing down the
gauntlet to the whole community- we will need artists, PR experts, poets,
marketing professionals and visionaries to capture the spirit of it.  Let's
show them what this generation can do!

Go to http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/09/can-you-write-a.html#more to
read the submissions and submit your own!

respectfully,
Loretta


-- 
Loretta Hidalgo Whitesides
Yuri's Night | Space Generation
1445 S St. NW #2 Washington DC 20009
202 986-6075 o | 626 429-6603 c
www.yurisnight.net | www.spacegen.org/usa

I am now blogging for Wired and Aviation Week and Space Technology!
Check it our latest post at http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/space/
and http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/blogs/space/
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