Q&A: What can brands learn from Nutella’s Artemis II cameo?
By Andrew Ramspacher
Every good road trip includes access to a favorite treat or two.
Apparently, that logic also applies to trips to the moon.
On Monday, during a livestream aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, a jar of Nutella – the tasty hazelnut cocoa spread – floated through the spacecraft as the four astronauts were on the brink of breaking the record for traveling farther from Earth than anyone.
Social media users quickly captured the event, and the gravity-defying moment went viral. Nutella, naturally, got in on the fun with its own post, capped by the catchy line, “Taking spreading smiles to new heights.”
NASA, for the record, confirmed the spontaneous Nutella appearance was just that – and not a “product placement.” The moment, nonetheless, sparks discussion about what this kind of random placement can do for a brand.
We checked in with University of Virginia Darden School of Business lecturer and communications expert Steve Soltis for his insight. Soltis previously led executive communications at The Coca-Cola Company and United Parcel Service and is the cofounder of Arvo Advisory.
Q. Can a viral unscripted moment like this truly move the needle in terms of brand perception or reputation?
A. Viral moments like this can absolutely move the needle – especially when it comes to reinforcing brand love, which is a metric most marketers pay a lot of attention to. The Artemis II journey has been such an uplifting experience for humanity during a time when, let’s face it, we need some uplift.
Steve Soltis is a lecturer and communications expert at UVA’s Darden School of Business. (Photo by Caroline Mackey, Darden School of Business)
Having that special brand attached to a playful moment in space creates a distinct halo effect for Nutella and its millions of fans and, I suspect, new fans.
Q. How might a brand capitalize on such a moment?
A. We saw a great example of using social media in an additive way. And while this generated a lot of external awareness for Nutella, capitalizing on these moments is also an excellent way to buttress internal morale for the men and women behind the brand. Indeed, these can be powerful moments for employee communication.
Q. What do you think of Nutella’s response to this?
A. Nutella played this perfectly. A short, fun video that doesn’t overindulge while saluting an important milestone for space flight and those extraordinary astronauts who made it possible.
Q. How can brands measure the success of these moments?
A. Nutella is undoubtedly going to see a spike in share of voice and positive consumer sentiment. And I bet they will see a rise in first-time purchasers and perhaps even a gain in sales among their loyal, longtime fans, of which there are many.
Will it be material? Likely not, but we’ll see. Nevertheless, it was still a great brand-building moment.
Q. Do moments like this change how marketers think about “brand placement” or the role of serendipity in brand visibility going forward?
A. You can bet many consumer-goods marketing teams are having conversations at this moment about Nutella.
I worked for two massive brands in UPS and Coca-Cola that were basically part of the commercial and social landscape of the world. You can’t film a movie on the streets of New York without seeing one of those classic brown UPS trucks in the background.
And Coca-Cola absolutely built its brand on what it calls “the power of presence.” Coke’s products and promotions are everywhere. That’s a very deliberate and intentional strategy that has been playing out for nearly 140 years.
The University of Virginia Darden School of Business prepares responsible global leaders through unparalleled transformational learning experiences. Darden’s graduate degree programs (Full-Time MBA, Part-Time MBA, Executive MBA, MSBA and Ph.D.) and Executive Education & Lifelong Learning programs offered by the Darden School Foundation set the stage for a lifetime of career advancement and impact. Darden’s top-ranked faculty, renowned for teaching excellence, inspires and shapes modern business leadership worldwide through research, thought leadership and business publishing. Darden has Grounds in Charlottesville, Virginia, and the Washington, D.C., area and a global community that includes 20,000 alumni in 90 countries. Darden was established in 1955 at the University of Virginia, a top public university founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 in Charlottesville, Virginia.
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Darden School of Business
University of Virginia
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