As someone that watches a lot of sporting events, I'm very aware of the different perspective that blimps have brought to the televised coverage of big games. Everyone loves the view from above provided by blimps and just the presence of a blimp solidifies the magnitude of an event.
We all know the Goodyear blimp and golf nuts like me are very familiar with the fleet of “Snoopy” airships that belong to MetLife. There are countless blimps that feature the branding of other corporations too. I've always been intrigued by blimp advertising and have recently read up on this practice. The information found has helped me learn that blimp advertising is much more involved than just paying for logo placement. Here are some highlights:
NOT LIKE NASCAR
In NASCAR, a company like Lowes, for example, can sponsor a race car team and seemingly bring in this team as part of the Lowes brand. That's not the way it works with blimp advertising.
Goodyear and MetLife don't simply sponsor a blimp team. They've hired pilots, technicians and other crew members to operate their blimp division, which exists as an internal component of the corporation. As the following video shows, these divisions are taken very seriously and improvements in technology will only help to expand their duties.
BUT WHY BLIMP ADVERTISING?
If you go back to the thought that marketing is all about getting your message to where it can be seen, blimp advertising makes sense. In addition to the thousands of impressions made on people at sporting events, those watching the events at home on TV are given several obligatory shots of the blimp that's providing the aerial coverage. The concept makes sense and doesn't require a lot of explanation. See MetLife's simple reasoning for yourself.
From personal experience, I know that a blimp sighting gives people some kind of special feeling. Blimps are cool and it's not a bad for a company to be associated with something that everyone enjoys. Even the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama utilized a blimp to promote the opening of a new casino in recent years.
LOTS OF SUPPORT
As mentioned, Goodyear and MetLife take their blimp divisions very seriously. They both put a lot of effort into gaining fans and connecting with them via social media. Through their impressive websites, it's possible to learn about the pilots, watch videos that detail the history of these programs, track the blimp’s current location and even schedule a flyover for your next event! The whole relationship between these companies and their blimp operations seems to have a noble feeling and everyone involved has a high sense of pride.
It’s difficult to find a negative aspect of blimp advertising. Cost comparisons between operating a blimp division and prime media buys are mostly in the favor of blimps, even back in 1994. Pricing, recognition and that “feel good” sensation make blimp advertising more effective than one would imagine. I hope that blimps are around for a long time!
{Top Photo: Courtesy}
