This cartoon by Patrick Chappatte from the International Herald Tribune relates to the record-breaking skydive from space by Austrian daredevil Felix Baumgartner earlier in the week.
On the left, we can see Baumgartner about to jump from his capsule suspended beneath a weather balloon. His words ("A small step for me ...") echo those of Neil Armstrong when the American astronaut became the first man to set foot on the moon ("That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind").
On the right, two business types are watching Baumgartner descend on his parachute. One comments, "... a giant leap for corporate sponsorship", echoing the second part of Armstrong's famous phrase.
COMMENTARY
Baumgartner's exploit is being seen as a triumph for Red Bull, the Austrian drinks company which sponsored his jump. Cynics might say it's all just a marketing gimmick, but to be fair to Red Bull, they were taking an enormous risk in backing this stunt, which could easily have gone horribly wrong, and their product branding was relatively subtle (compared to F1, for example). See The Cagle Post for more cartoons on Baumgartner's historic skydive.
VOCABULARY
1. Sponsorship is financial support given by a sponsor. • Crewe United rely on sponsorship from local businesses to support our activities and to ensure the continued existence of the club.
2. Corporate means relating to business corporations or to a particular business corporation. • The Lance Armstrong doping scandal risks damaging Nike's corporate image.
DISCUSSION
How does Baumgartner's feat compare with that of Neil Armstrong?
ALSO SEE
• Red Bull and Felix Baumgartner take sponsorship to new heights (The Guardian)
• Red Bull 'worth £5bn' after Felix Baumgartner skydive (The Telegraph)
• Felix Baumgartner makes record-breaking skydive from space – video (The Guardian)
• Felix Baumgartner's skydive pales in comparison with the moon landings (The Guardian)
