Mars Sucks: Why an LA Ad Agency Trolled Elon Musk on Earth Day

Ben Bergman

Ben Bergman is the newsroom's senior finance reporter. Previously he was a senior business reporter and host at KPCC, a senior producer at Gimlet Media, a producer at NPR's Morning Edition, and produced two investigative documentaries for KCET. He has been a frequent on-air contributor to business coverage on NPR and Marketplace and has written for The New York Times and Columbia Journalism Review. Ben was a 2017-2018 Knight-Bagehot Fellow in Economic and Business Journalism at Columbia Business School. In his free time, he enjoys skiing, playing poker, and cheering on The Seattle Seahawks.

Mars Sucks: Why an LA Ad Agency Trolled Elon Musk on Earth Day

Most of the marketing around Earth Day is centered around our beautiful, yet delicate, planet. But a Los Angeles purpose-driven creative agency launched a cheeky campaign that focuses on the unappealing alternative – Mars.


The agency paid for a digital billboard to go live on Earth Day across from SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CA, with the caption: "Mars Sucks." (A representative for Mars declined to comment.)

"We wanted to make a statement that would catch the world's attention, with the sole purpose of encouraging people to see the importance of prioritizing Earth," wrote Paco Conde and Beto Fernandez, founders of the agency Activista, in a joint email to dot.LA. "With SpaceX and Elon Musk representing Mars, the digital billboard outside SpaceX's HQ gave us a unique opportunity to make our statement that Mars can wait, but Earth can't – all in good humour, with a wink and a smile."

SpaceX is aiming to ferry tourists to Mars as soon as 2024.While seen as the most likely other planet in our solar system to host intelligent life, the Red Planet leaves a lot to be desired – with no breathable air, temperatures averaging a chilly -8 F and going as low as -220F, and punishing dust storms lasting months on end.

"Mars Sucks" billboard design and quote cards. See many more at their website below.

Conde and Fernandez say they are baffled as to why billionaires such as Musk and Amazon founder Jeff Bezos are so intent on going to Mars.

"We see some of the smartest and richest people on this planet dreaming of Mars," they wrote. "A hellhole that sucks. Really? Imagine if we had these same brilliant minds putting their genius into the climate crisis we're facing right now."

While the billboard will only be on display for 24 hours – until 6am PST Friday – a website and social media campaign will live on with the anti-Mars message. Visitors to the website are encouraged to donate to environmental groups.

Elon Musk has not responded to the billboard but plenty of others worldwide, including Russia's state news agency, have taken note on social media.

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🎓 LA’s Startup Edge Round 2

In light of last week’s article, we want to highlight some additional schools that have a significant impact on LA’s tech landscape. If we’ve missed any schools or founders worth including let us know!


Image Source: LMU

Loyola Marymount University

LMU plays a significant role in developing Los Angeles' tech workforce by offering various programs and resources for aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators. The university fosters innovation and entrepreneurship through:

  • LMU College of Business Administration: Provides entrepreneurship-focused programs and courses, including the Entrepreneurship Program, which offers hands-on experience and mentorship opportunities for students interested in starting their own businesses.
  • Frank R. Seaver College of Science and Engineering: Collaborates with industry partners on research projects and offers programs like the Engineering Clinic, where students work on real-world problems for corporate sponsors.
  • Fred Kiesner Center for Entrepreneurship: Serves as a hub for entrepreneurial activities, offering resources such as the Business Incubator program, pitch competitions, and networking events to support student and faculty startups.

Companies Founded by LMU Alumni: Liquid I.V. by Brandin Cohen, Dave by Jason Wilk, Abstract by Pat Utz


Image Source: CSULB

California State University, Long Beach (CSULB)

CSULB plays a significant role in developing Long Beach's entrepreneurial ecosystem through various programs and resources. The Institute for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (IIE) at CSULB serves as a central hub, offering initiatives like monthly Innovation Hours, a social justice entrepreneurship program, and the annual Sunstone Innovation Challenge with $50,000 in prizes. CSULB fosters innovation and entrepreneurship through:

Companies Founded by CSULB Alumni: Oculus VR and Anduril by Palmer Luckey (technically not an alumni because he dropped out before graduating), Dreamworks Animation by Steven Spielberg


Image Source: Claremont McKenna College

The Claremont Colleges

The Claremont Colleges serve as a significant source of talent for Los Angeles' tech and venture capital workforce, leveraging their strong academic programs and entrepreneurial resources. Harvey Mudd College, renowned for its exceptional engineering program, contributes a substantial number of highly skilled graduates to the tech sector. The consortium's collaborative approach to fostering innovation is exemplified by initiatives like:

  • The HIVE: This hub enhances students' creative problem-solving skills through collaborative and interdisciplinary experiences.
  • Claremont McKenna College's Silicon Valley Program: Offers students an immersive off-campus study experience that integrates internships, coursework, and networking opportunities in the heart of the tech industry, preparing them for careers in innovation and venture capital..
  • The Makerspace at Harvey Mudd College: An 8,000 SF student-run facility that allows students to prototype and develop innovative ideas, fostering a hands-on approach.

Companies Founded by Claremont Alumni: TechCrunch by Michael Arrington (CMC), KKR by Henry Kravis (CMC) & George Roberts (CMC), Sun Basket by Adam Zbar (Pomona), GitHub by Tom Preston-Werner (technically not an alumni because he dropped out before graduating from Harvey Mudd)


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🌱Redefining Female Pleasure—and LA's New Wellness Club: What to Know

🔦 Spotlight

Happy Friday Los Angeles!

Love.Life is a high-end, holistic health and wellness club recently opened in Los Angeles, founded by former Whole Foods Market executives John Mackey, Walter Robb, and Betsy Foster. The 45,000-square-foot facility combines advanced medical diagnostics, personalized fitness and nutrition plans, and rejuvenating therapies under one roof. Membership options range from $300 to $50,000 annually, offering services such as detailed health assessments, specialized treatments, and access to various wellness modalities including cryotherapy, red light therapy, and advanced fitness equipment. With autoimmune diseases on the rise, the club aims to provide a comprehensive health experience that blends Eastern and Western practices, with additional perks like an on-site café and pickleball courts. Love.Life's approach emphasizes preventive care and personalized health management, catering to individuals who are willing/able to invest significantly in their well-being.

In parallel to this trend towards high-end, integrated wellness solutions, Hello Cake, an LA-based sexual health startup, is making strides in addressing women's sexual dysfunction—a field where treatment options have been notably scarce. While erectile dysfunction has seen significant innovation for men, women’s sexual health remains inadequately addressed, despite the Cleveland Clinic's estimate that 43% of women experience sexual dysfunction compared to 31% of men (hello underserved market). Hello Cake is introducing two new prescription products: Libido Lift Rx, a dissolvable tablet featuring oxytocin, tadalafil, and L-citrulline, and O-Cream, a topical treatment containing sildenafil. Priced at $54 for six doses, these products aim to help women love life by tackling low libido, filling a significant gap in the market where female libido is often overlooked. Despite the lack of FDA approval for these specific uses and limited trials, Hello Cake seeks to provide a novel approach to a common, yet medically nebulous issue, highlighting a crucial area of unmet medical need. Given its vibrant health and wellness culture, LA provides an ideal backdrop for innovative health companies like Love.Life and Hello Cake to address emerging needs in a city that's both health-conscious and open to new wellness trends.


🤝 Venture Deals

LA Companies

  • Sahara AI, a startup that operates a decentralized network that allows users to control, scale, and monetize their personal knowledge and copyrights using AI and blockchain technology, raised a $43M Funding Round co-led by Pantera Capital, Binance Labs, and Polychain Capital. - learn more
  • Ambercycle, a maker of recycled polyester, raised a $10M Funding Round from Shinkong Synthetic Fibers. - learn more
  • JetZero, a developer of blended-wing aircraft, raised funding from Alaska Airlines. - learn more

LA Venture Funds

    LA Exits

    • Datum Source, a developer of software that helps hardware companies find manufacturers, was acquired by Hadrian, a defense tech company. - learn more

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    🎓 LA’s Startup Edge

    Los Angeles is a key center for tech and entrepreneurship, driven by its major universities. Caltech produced a “founding father” of artificial intelligence and USC's Viterbi School collaborates with industry and has produced companies like Riot Games.


    Image Source: UCLA

    University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

    UCLA is a major source of tech talent in LA, granting approximately 2,000 engineering degrees from Bachelor’s of Science to Ph.D.s annually. The university fosters innovation through:

    • Startup UCLA: An on-campus accelerator program that provides mentorship, funding, and resources to student entrepreneurs.
    • Anderson School of Management: Offers entrepreneurship programs and hosts startup competitions.
    Companies Founded by UCLA Alumni: ChowNow by Eric Jaffe; Blizzard Entertainment by Mike Morhaime; BAM Ventures, LegalZoom.com & The Honest Company by Brain Lee


    Image Source: USC

    University of Southern California (USC)

    USC is another key player in developing LA's tech workforce offering numerous programs and resources for aspiring entrepreneurs, including the Viterbi Startup Garage, USC Stevens Center for Innovation, and the Lloyd Greif Center for Entrepreneurial Studies, which provides over 68 entrepreneurship courses taught by 27 professors and practitioners.The university fosters innovation through:

    Companies Founded by USC Alumni: Riot Games by Brandon Beck and Marc Merrill; Salesforce by Marc Benioff


    Image Source: CalTech

    California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

    Caltech is a significant contributor to the tech talent pool in Los Angeles, producing around 600 graduates annually across various STEM fields, with a large portion likely in engineering disciplines. Additionally, Caltech alumni have founded 238 startup companies between 1995 and 2016, with 35% still active as of 2016, demonstrating the institution's strong support for entrepreneurship and innovation in the region. The university fosters innovation through:

    • Caltech Entrepreneurs Club: This student-run organization aims to develop Caltech's startup ecosystem through educational speaker series, networking events, and collaboration with administration to establish a founder-friendly environment.
    • Caltech Innovation Center: Provides startups with space to test, develop, grow, and commercialize deep technology ideas collaboratively.

    Companies Founded by Caltech Alumni: Intel by Gordon Moore, Quora by Adam D’Angelo, and John McCarthy one of the “founding fathers” of Artificial Intelligence


    Image Source: Pepperdine University

    Pepperdine University

    Pepperdine University contributes to Los Angeles' tech talent pool through its strong entrepreneurship programs and MBA offerings that emphasize innovation and startup development. 33% of its MBA students are actively working on startups during their studies and 85% are aspiring to start businesses

    Companies Founded by Pepperdine Alumni: Eventbrite by Julia Hartz

    These universities are crucial in developing LA's tech talent pool, offering programs that bridge the gap between academia and industry. Their initiatives in entrepreneurship and partnerships with local startups are helping to create a robust tech ecosystem in Los Angeles.

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