In 1915, Albert Einstein published his theory of relativity which states that massive objects distort the space-time continuum and can warp reality. In 2019, President Trump’s ego willed into existence a similar celestial force within the United States military aptly named Space Force. With little more than a campaign slogan and a logo inspired by Star Trek that had boldly gone where 1960’s graphic designers had gone before, this new branch of the armed services could barely escape the gravity of its own premise. To combat waning public perception and ignite the curiosity of a new generation of explorers, I embarked on a journey to create an immersive experience within a long-forgotten planetarium.
Constructed in 1959, the 360-degree dome shaped planetarium located on the campus of the U.S. Air Force Academy was first used to teach military cadets how to navigate with the stars. Due to the rapid advancement of technology, the facility was deemed obsolete and closed in 2004. With a critical new mission at hand, my team gutted this national historic landmark and outfitted the interior with nine state-of-the-art 8K panoramic projectors, a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound system, an LED video wall and 110 reclining seats. To further draw on the tone of Hollywood science fiction, guests were greeted with a retro synthwave soundtrack and neon noir visuals. Think Stranger Things meets Blade Runner.
As a marketing director moonlighting as a planetarium director, I leveraged the value of free space programming to introduce audiences to the Air and Space Forces before each show. The desire to bravely go where one has not gone before is deeply rooted in the human spirit. To induce this feeling of wonder, we created a series of 360-degree video commercials that allowed audiences to experience first-hand what it’s like to launch a military satellite, track space debris and communicate with astronauts on the International Space Station.
50 years after Apollo astronauts last walked on the moon, NASA announced a return with the upcoming Artemis lunar missions. To contribute to this historic journey, my marketing team proposed partnering with NASA to use modified 360-degree cameras developed by future Space Force officers to capture the rigors of space travel like never before. If approved, we would create a documentary film optimized for planetariums to deliver a visually immersive field-of-view to audiences that would be distributed for free to theaters around the world.
In the voyage to the final frontier, we created a transformational Space Force experience for audiences that broadened perceptions of the brand, while providing a transactional venue for recruiters to interact with prospects face-to-face. Our newly renovated planetarium became a top-rated tourist destination in Colorado and amassed over 45,000 guests in the first year, including 4,000 science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students. The 2020 Muse Creative Awards also named us Platinum Award Winner for Exhibition Experiences and Gold Award Winner for 360 Video.