International television, newspapers and magazines are echoing in recent hours a fact that has caught attention due to the anecdotal nature of the scene: a jar of Nutella floated past the head of astronaut Christina Koch during a live broadcast from the Orion spacecraft, on the Artemis II mission, as it approached the Moon.
The Artemis II mission, promoted by NASA, is the first manned flight of the Artemis program and has aimed to orbit the moon before returning to Earth. Lasting approximately ten days, the Orion spacecraft has been carrying out a flyby without landing on the moon, laying the foundations for future missions that do contemplate the human return to the surface.
In this context, Reid Wiseman, Christina Koch, Jeremy Hansen and Victor Glover became the humans who have traveled the furthest from Earth last Monday, April 6, at approximately 8:00 p.m. in Spain, surpassing the 400,000 kilometers distance and the record set by the Apollo 13 mission in 1970.
Shortly after, around 00:44, the mission met another of its key milestones by flying over the far side of the Moon, capturing images of its surface and craters such as the one in the Eastern Basin.
An unexpected jar of Nutella took center stage just as the ship circled the moon
However, although one would expect the four astronauts to be the center of attention of one of the most followed NASA missions in recent years, it was that unexpected jar of Nutella that took center stage just as the ship circled the Moon at a distance of 406,752 kilometers. The jar was part of the food provisions on board, but its appearance was almost cinematic, floating in zero gravity, rotating slowly in the air and clearly displaying the brand logo, as if it were an advertising piece.
The moment took on a life of its own on the internet in a matter of minutes. “Nutella just broke a world record by flying further from Earth than anyone else”wrote a user in X. “The best space ad in history”pointed out another.
The images, with an almost perfect aesthetic, led many to speculate with the possibility that it was a product placement action, and even an agreement between Ferrero and NASA.
However, the agency was quick to deny it and Bethany Stevens, NASA Press Secretary, told Futurism: “NASA does not select crew meals or food based on brand deals. This was not surreptitious advertising.”
From that moment on, the phenomenon took the definitive leap: media echo.
Media from around the world began to cover the scene, turning what had been a spontaneous moment into a global case of brand visibility. And they did so, for the most part, by directly mentioning Nutella.
Only some media initially chose to talk about “cocoa cream”, subsequently correcting the reference to align with real searches and informative interest, where the term “Nutella” has concentrated the demand.
The result is an almost academic example of advertising: organic, unpaid coverage, generated by the news interest of a real event. A dynamic that, in this case, has led some media to define it as one of the largest recent free advertising exercises.
Since Monday, Google search interest around Nutella has skyrocketed, especially in the news section, showing how an unexpected moment can activate the global media agenda.
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Daniel Anechina, Country Media Manager at Ferrero Spain, has addressed the phenomenon on LinkedIn, where he has denied some of the most widespread interpretations among users who are already commenting on the scene as the best product placement lesson in history: “It has been news in the most credible media on the planet. And it has caught us all by surprise”he explains. And adds: “It’s not AI. And it’s not a campaign either. Simply a good product that everyone has for breakfast… and outside of it.”
The brand, for its part, has reacted quickly on social networks, activating a real-time marketing exercise that reinforces the narrative. With messages like “Nutella is something out of the ordinary”, it plays with the expression “out of this world” to integrate the moment into your brand territory.
Although Nutella has been the only food visible on this leg of the trip, it is part of a much broader menu. The crew has dishes such as macaroni and cheese, brisket, broccoli gratin or scrambled eggs, as well as drinks such as coffee, green tea or apple cider. It has also been known that they have dozens of tortillas to accompany foods such as the famous hazelnut cream.
Beyond the anecdotal, the episode exemplifies a revealing marketing axis regarding formulas to capture attention. And sometimes the most powerful visibility just happens.
