Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination
Encyclopedia
The Quasi Universal Intergalactic Denomination (QUID) was a proposed "space currency" created as a viral marketing
campaign launched by Travelex
with the London-based public relations
and advertising firm, talkPR. The full name is a backronym
from 'quid', a slang term for the British Pound
. The campaign stated that Travelex was launching a new form of money for space tourists
that had no sharp edges, was chemically inert, and had other advantages over paper money.
On October 5, 2007, a one-page press statement announcing the QUID was released and placed on the United Press International
press release newswire. The campaign was launched in the midst of intense press coverage of the Virgin Galactic
news. The story was picked up by major news agencies in the UK, and soon after, the US. Science magazines and technological blog writers weighed in on the topic, calling it "useless" and "nonsense", further spreading the story.
, whose employees were presented with a number of mockups made by the campaign artists and were asked to select one.
The end result was a series of circular clear discs with colored centers, symbolizing the eight planet
s of the Solar System
inside, and denominations ranging from 1 to 10. Each quid coin would have its own unique code number, similar to the serial number
on paper currency
, to allow tracking
, and to prevent counterfeit
ing. Travelex stated it planned to work with the Bank of England
to begin registering the Quid as possible legal currency in the future.
Statements by members of the NSC and the University of Leicester
(who started the NSC) were added to the campaign release. When the campaign concluded, NSC received the resulting coins and put them on display in their Space|Now display.
Viral marketing
Viral marketing, viral advertising, or marketing buzz are buzzwords referring to marketing techniques that use pre-existing social networks to produce increases in brand awareness or to achieve other marketing objectives through self-replicating viral processes, analogous to the spread of viruses...
campaign launched by Travelex
Travelex Group
Travelex Group is foreign exchange company founded by Lloyd Dorfman and headquartered London. Its main businesses are international payments, bureau de change and issuing prepaid credit cards for use by travellers...
with the London-based public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
and advertising firm, talkPR. The full name is a backronym
Backronym
A backronym or bacronym is a phrase constructed purposely, such that an acronym can be formed to a specific desired word. Backronyms may be invented with serious or humorous intent, or may be a type of false or folk etymology....
from 'quid', a slang term for the British Pound
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
. The campaign stated that Travelex was launching a new form of money for space tourists
Space tourism
Space Tourism is space travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. A number of startup companies have sprung up in recent years, hoping to create a space tourism industry...
that had no sharp edges, was chemically inert, and had other advantages over paper money.
On October 5, 2007, a one-page press statement announcing the QUID was released and placed on the United Press International
United Press International
United Press International is a once-major international news agency, whose newswires, photo, news film and audio services provided news material to thousands of newspapers, magazines and radio and television stations for most of the twentieth century...
press release newswire. The campaign was launched in the midst of intense press coverage of the Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
news. The story was picked up by major news agencies in the UK, and soon after, the US. Science magazines and technological blog writers weighed in on the topic, calling it "useless" and "nonsense", further spreading the story.
The QUID
After coming up with the idea of a space-money campaign, talkPR and Travelex contacted the National Space CentreNational Space Centre
The National Space Centre is one of the United Kingdom's leading visitor attractions that is devoted to space science and astronomy. It is located in the city of Leicester, England, next to the River Soar on the A6.-History:...
, whose employees were presented with a number of mockups made by the campaign artists and were asked to select one.
The end result was a series of circular clear discs with colored centers, symbolizing the eight planet
Planet
A planet is a celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighbouring region of planetesimals.The term planet is ancient, with ties to history, science,...
s of the Solar System
Solar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
inside, and denominations ranging from 1 to 10. Each quid coin would have its own unique code number, similar to the serial number
Serial number
A serial number is a unique number assigned for identification which varies from its successor or predecessor by a fixed discrete integer value...
on paper currency
Banknote
A banknote is a kind of negotiable instrument, a promissory note made by a bank payable to the bearer on demand, used as money, and in many jurisdictions is legal tender. In addition to coins, banknotes make up the cash or bearer forms of all modern fiat money...
, to allow tracking
Currency bill tracking
Currency bill tracking is the process of tracking the movements of banknotes, similar to how ornithologists track migrations of birds by ringing them. Currency bill tracking sites can track currency among the users of that website...
, and to prevent counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
ing. Travelex stated it planned to work with the Bank of England
Bank of England
The Bank of England is the central bank of the United Kingdom and the model on which most modern central banks have been based. Established in 1694, it is the second oldest central bank in the world...
to begin registering the Quid as possible legal currency in the future.
Statements by members of the NSC and the University of Leicester
University of Leicester
The University of Leicester is a research-led university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is a mile south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park and Wyggeston and Queen Elizabeth I College....
(who started the NSC) were added to the campaign release. When the campaign concluded, NSC received the resulting coins and put them on display in their Space|Now display.
See also
- Space AdventuresSpace AdventuresSpace Adventures, Ltd. is a Virginia, USA-based space tourism company founded in 1998 by Eric C. Anderson. , offerings include zero-gravity atmospheric flights, orbital spaceflights , and other spaceflight-related experiences including cosmonaut training, spacewalk training, and launch tours...
- Space colonizationSpace colonizationSpace colonization is the concept of permanent human habitation outside of Earth. Although hypothetical at the present time, there are many proposals and speculations about the first space colony...
- Commercial AstronautCommercial AstronautA commercial astronaut is a person trained to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a privately funded spacecraft.-Criteria:The criteria for determining who has achieved human spaceflight vary. The FAI defines spaceflight as any flight over of altitude...
- Space Tourism SocietySpace Tourism SocietyThe Space Tourism Society was founded in 1996. It is the first organization specifically focused on the space tourism industry.Their stated goals, quoted from their :"To conduct the research,build public desire,...
- List of private spaceflight companies