Georgia Institute of Technology

Georgia Tech Uses Nanotechnology to Create World’s Smallest Ad

When Arby’s announced in world record-breaking fashion that it had completed the nationwide conversion to Coca-Cola beverages, it turned to Georgia Tech’s Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology (IEN) to help.

Using a Focused Ion Beam, Georgia Tech engineers etched “We have a big announcement. This isn’t it.” onto a sesame seed from an Arby’s bun. The ad measured 38.3 microns by 19.2 microns, or 735.36 square micron in area, and has been officially recognized by the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS as the world’s Smallest advertisement.

The world’s smallest ad was displayed inside an Arby’s in America’s largest city, New York. Arby’s guests at the 32 E. 23rd St. restaurant in Manhattan were able to view the world’s smallest ad by using a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provided by Hitachi-HTA.

“When Arby’s ad agency, Moxie, approached us about this, I raised an eyebrow,” said Dean Sutter, associate director for industry outreach for IEN. “But then I thought it was a great way to highlight our unique capabilities and let industry know we have facilities that can help them with their nanotechnology needs.”

Arby’s used the world’s Smallest advertisement on June 11 to tease the announcement of switching to Coca-Cola with a second GUINESS WORLD RECORDS title – the Largest advertisement. The 212,000-square-foot advertisement was unveiled June 19 in Monowi, Nebraska. The town is the only incorporated municipality in the United States with a population of one, making it the smallest city in America. The idea was to have the world’s smallest ad in the largest city – New York City – and the largest ad in the smallest city.

For more on IEN and its capabilities or to become a shared asset user, go to http://ien.gatech.edu/.

Founded in 1964, Arby’s is the second-largest sandwich restaurant brand in the world with more than 3,400 restaurants in seven countries. Arby’s is part of the Inspire Brands family of restaurants. For more information, visit Arbys.com and InspireBrands.com.

The Coca-Cola Company is a total beverage company, offering over 500 brands in more than 200 countries. With its bottling partners, Coca-Cola employs more than 700,000 people, bringing economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at Coca-Cola Journey at www.coca-colacompany.com.