The Real First & Largest Logo Visible From Space
Wednesday, 15th November 2006 by Alex Turnbull
First it got Dugg, and then it got Slashdotted - but the fact remains that the enormous KFC logo recently constructed in Nevada is not the first logo (or brand) visible from space. In fact, it's debatable whether or not it's even really visible from space at all (See the introduction to our book for a more complete examination of this argument). Either way, KFC's big logo isn't actually that big.1
Now this Readymix logo in the Australian desert is big. Really big.2 It's 3.2km across, and 1.6km high - and come to think of it, it's been there since 1965, so probably qualifies as the first logo visible from space, and it's possible that this was the first logo constructed specifically for that purpose too.
Digg that Diggers 😀
1) It is however an excellent example of big business beginning to try to cash in on the online satellite imagery phenomenon. However I seriously doubt that the image will ever appear on Google Earth or Maps, as to the best of my knowledge, Google don't currently buy any imagery from GeoEye, the only company who have definitely captured a photo of the giant KFC logo.
2) However, even the Readymix writing is nowhere near the world's largest text.
Thanks to the (ever awesome) Keyhole users.
About the author
Alex has decided that his title will be Senior Vice President of Stuff.
Dugg! Thanks for the great insight.
link for the world’s largest text doesn’t seem to work. just thought i’d let you know
Here is the link for the largest text https://www.googlesightseeing.com/2005/04/08/luecke/
There’s a vid of the construction on google video: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8731914636474352421
Randall:
I noticed that too — the link is misplaced: it’s on the numeral 2 in the list.
Thanks, link should now be fixed – markdown was behaving oddly for some reason?
I thought that the KFC logo was constructed at Rachel, Nevada, not Arizona. 37° 38.801′ N, 115° 44.760′ W
Goshdarnit! Thanks Mirage, now fixed.
Link is still mucked.
“Visible from Space” is a bit of an ambigious term. The whole “Great Wall of China” is visible from space started the nonsence, and was actually russian PR. http://www.snopes.com/science/greatwal.htm
I work for Readymix – or rather for Cemex, the company who took us over a couple of years ago, so I feel quite proud of that logo, and also a little sad that the name is now redundant.