Soviets Seek Ads in Space: The Soviet...

Soviets Seek Ads in Space: The Soviet Union has retained the world’s largest advertising agency, Saatchi & Saatchi, to help sell broadcast rights and corporate sponsorships for the first Soviet-British space mission, according to a report in today’s New York Times. The program would allow such things as commercials promoting a particular brand of sneaker as the official athletic footwear of the space project. Art Dula, president of the Space Commerce Corp. of Houston, which has U.S. marketing rights for the venture, said advertisers also would be able to put their firm’s name on a Soviet space craft. The 1991 mission, which will carry Britain’s first astronaut into orbit from a launching pad in the Soviet Union, will be financed entirely by the sale of commercial opportunities, the newspaper said.