I have fallen madly in fascination with the Mars One venture. For a number of reasons. The project aims to send four astronauts on a one way trip to Mars to create and inhabit the first permanent galactic colony. (No, this is not a scene out of your guilty pleasure space fantasy novel…) With the rise of a new wave of literal starry-eyed dreamers saying “thanks, no thanks” to government-backed rockets, blueprints are being rolled up and hauled into private pockets. This means that not only are these pioneers looking out from their rolling chairs onto the endless galactic horizon, but also onto the bold untamed frontier of market strategy. There are no rules when it comes to private funding on this massive scale, and as far as I can tell, the strategy thus far has been go big or go home.

The team has a projected $6 billion ticket price and a 2024 launch date marked in the calendar. With those components alone, someone in the marketing division is shouldering a pretty momentous burden. Herein lies the reason why my infatuation with the project, as a millennial, seems to be unquestionable: the marketing solution speaks to some of the only things my generation is most irrevocably compelled by: reality television and social media. Just kidding. But only kind of.

In a bit I heard on NPR the other morning about marketing to millennials, young professionals were asked about their opinions on effective marketing. One of the highlights was this quote:

Honestly, If I could say anything to the advertisers, it’d be this: Entertain me, make me happy, capture my attention, speak to my conscious and then leave me the heck alone.

If we are looking at this quote as a step by step framework for the Mars One campaign, these guys absolutely nail it. Let’s tease it apart:

“Entertain Me”

With the promise of galactic selfies, the call was smeared across the internet in 2013 for any and all zealous aspiring astronauts to apply to be sent on the first ever colonization mission to Mars. That call was answered. 200,000 times. Recently, it has been announced that the final four astronauts will be chosen by way of reality television show. True, some may holler about the legitimacy of this project as it is slapped in a primetime slot right after “American Idol.” I think it really is a stroke of genius and a testament to the truth that people are moved by the beliefs of their peers. To encourage the project’s target consumer group to become emotionally attached to the astronauts is important for its continuing popularity. Furthermore, to demonstrate that they are directly relatable to you and me – the (let’s be honest) scientifically illiterate is invaluable, and creates an invested interested consumer base.

“Make Me Happy”

Nothing says ‘happy’ like a new age of galactic innovation and bearing witness to a history-shifting monumental event. At least that’s how the saying goes… right?

For something as grand as space exploration to be represented by faces of people I could probably bump into at the coffee shop down the street is a real feel-good. There is irrefutable evidence that says consumer trust is built on and fueled by personal narrative. To bear witness to the trial and tribulations of the people that dedicate their lives to this this venture makes the followers of the Mars One project, and those that tune in want to believe too.

Just a few of the MARS 100

“Capture My Attention”

What if your neighbor was chosen to go? What if your mom was? What if you forgot to slip in “till Mars do us part” in your wedding vows? Do they have your attention yet?

“Speak To My Conscious”

Okay, we’ll level with you because we know you’re smart. The real scientific plausibility of this venture is questionable. But the beautiful thing about this campaign is that the astronaut applicants and the people rooting for them have been responsible for continuing forward momentum. After doing extensive internet digging over the past week, when I make mention of the project, the visual representation I come up with in my head is usually the faces of the 100 finalists. That’s good marketing.

“Then Leave Me The Heck Alone”

This is arguably the most important part of their marketing strategy. The component I am struck by is that it seems as though I am never told how to feel by anyone but peers, and the aspiring astronauts themselves. Although this can be recognized as a part of a skillful campaign’s smoke-and-mirrors, the most effective form of advertising comes from outside the campaign’s hard boundary lines. That’s good stuff.

Mars One: Marketing To Millennials

To watch a rocket filled with four winners of a reality television show actually leaving the ground in 2024 would be awesome, there is no denying that. But watching this campaign push the frontiers of what is possible in our marketing universe is inspiring right now, and gets us fired up. Any marketing venture, big or small can be effective with the right amount of orchestration, and it doesn’t have to leave the atmosphere to “entertain me, make me happy, capture my attention, speak to my conscious and then leave me the heck alone.”