Lockheed Martin: We Do Space by McCann NY

For Lockheed Martin, space is not a destination, nor a tourist attraction – space is a place to do. It’s an unlimited resource of untapped potential, and the company is developing the technology the world needs to unlock its possibilities. In this campaign, Lockheed Martin is looking for the brightest minds to help it unlock the universe.

To go about finding the rising stars in the world of engineering, McCann NY and Lockheed Martin created the ultimate test: a challenge box. But not just any box. They placed a 14-foot tall, mysterious inky-black monolith that can only be unlocked if someone is able to solve one of the world’s most impossible aerospace equations. In fact, the exact equation was a problem Lockheed Martin engineers had to solve for a real-world satellite mission.

Lockheed Martin is bringing the box to some of the top engineering schools in America, starting with Virginia Tech. A video promoting the highly technical task shows how the VT students approached the challenge. Cameras captured students going into a blacklit room with the massive sci-fi box in the middle. They are seen reading screens with the equation, then working diligently to find the solution. Many failed along the way and walked away only to try again. The students, trying to out-nerd each other (in the best way possible), kept plugging away at the problem until finally, one young man put in the answer that unlocked the box. Inside they were rewarded with a kaleidoscopic view of the universe, as captured by Lockheed Martin. They also have the possibility of working for the company.