An ad featuring a Virgin Galactic astronaut for Range Rover.
Range Rover has debuted Future Astronaut, a new storytelling campaign in collaboration with Courageous Studios, the brand studio of CNN, that highlights women who are driving the future of space travel.
Courageous produced two short films that are running in parallel with Range Rover’s sponsorship of Space’s Next Chapter, CNN’s editorial series that will run throughout the summer on television as well as social and digital platforms.
“Space has captivated explorers for centuries, and the current interest in the latest space innovations appeal to the curiosity of us all,” Stuart Schorr, vice president of communications at Jaguar Land Rover North America, told me. “Land Rover has been known for decades of enabling their owners to reach the further places around the globe.”
The two films feature future Virgin Galactic astronaut and mother Kellie Gerardi on her journey to prepare for her upcoming research mission. Her story is “an inspirational narrative highlighting the importance of STEM and the pursuit of adventure even to the boundaries of space,” Schorr said. One of the films captures “her story as a scientist and mom and as an inspiration to her daughter,” he said. The second depicts Gerardi’s preparation for her journey to the Virgin Galactic Space Port.
Range Rover models are integrated into both creative approaches. The brand and its vehicles are closely associated with Virgin Galactic, ranking as a long-time backer of Sir Richard Branson’s space-exploration company’s efforts to recruit, train and deploy “citizen astronauts.” Over the past several years, Range Rover has created an exclusive Astronaut Edition which the company says it provides “only for future astronauts.” Range Rover transported Branson to the New Mexico Space Station for his historic journey into space in 2021. And through a Land Rover Adventure of a Lifetime Sweepstakes, a winning Land Rover owner will be joining a future Virgin Galactic space flight.
“With CNN, we wanted to help spread the amazing story of the technology and people with content that highlights the connection between the brands,” Schorr said.
Range Rover is ramping up marketing now in part to support its late-summer launch of the all-new Range Rover Sport.
