100 Years Of The Goodyear Blimp – How A Unique Branding Tool Has Stood The Test Of Time

At the Le Mans 24 hour race, the Goodyear blimp was a familiar feature in the sky
This year marks 100 years since the first Goodyear blimp took to the skies. The brand is, of course, most well known for its tire ranges but its branded blimp has become a staple at motorsport events over the past century. Underlining its importance for the brand, it was a near permanent fixture above the 24 Hours of Le Mans last weekend.
After featuring at Le Mans for the first time in 1973, Goodyear brought its only Europe-based blimp to the iconic endurance event. Luca Andreoni, Senior Manager Marketing Communications Strategy at Goodyear said: 'The Goodyear blimp is a historical icon and it's a great branding tool both internally and for motorsports enthusiasts because it goes beyond what we normally do.'
The blimp is as long as two and a half blue whales
While Andreoni admits you could ask what the connection between the tire brand and the blimp is, he explains it's part of the company's historical DNA and global presence. He added: 'The blimp is an icon of innovation as well, even if it's obsolete in a way, it projects what we have been and what we want to be.'
This historical reflection on the significance of the technology at the time is not to be underestimated. Although the interior and area where the pilot and copilot sit looks super high tech, it's easy to imagine how mind blowing this form of flying would have been 100 years ago. Huge technological breakthroughs are often overlooked as soon as they are surpassed by the next generation of innovations but it's great to see the blimp being preserved in this way.
What Is It Like Inside The Goodyear Blimp?
Up front with the pilot and copilot
In comparison to the blimp's huge 75m long upper structure, the passenger compartment is much smaller with room for just 14 passengers and two pilots. One of the strangest parts is that the blimp has opening windows. There's no chance you could fall out of them but it still feels surreal to stand right next to an open window when you're 1000ft in the air.
Despite its size, the blimp is impressively agile. It climbs to cruising height quickly and makes tighter turns than you'd expect. Although there's nothing else in the sky like it, bizarrely, the blimp feels most closely related to a helicopter.
How Does The Goodyear Blimp Fly?
Although the blimp is huge, it doesn't need many crew to operate
The blimp's upper section is filled with helium to help it float. In the past airships like Zeppelins and blimps used hydrogen but for obvious fiery reasons, helium is now the preferred option. Helium alone is not enough to move the airship though, Goodyear's blimps are equipped with three four-cylinder 200 hp engines, one on either side and one at the rear. These power propellers which are used to direct the blimp and help it to gain altitude.
Typically, a blimp will fly at around 1000ft, no higher than the top of the Eiffel Tower but it can reach up to 10,000ft. Since the cabin is not pressurised, this is the maximum altitude it would be able to reach. When it comes to max speed, it's not particularly quick at 78mph but it makes for a nice cruising pace with plenty of time to look down on iconic tracks like Le Mans.
Looking down at the track from the blimp
Thanks to its design, the blimp can fly for a maximum of 22 hours, so no wonder it's ideally suited to endurance race appearances. Although the airship is as long as two and a half blue whales, just three ground crew can help the pilot to land and secure the blimp.
How Many Goodyear Blimps Exist?
Goodyear commissioned four blimp replicas as part of its global branding campaigns. Three are permanently based in America while the other is operated by Zeppelin in Europe.
The blimp has become an iconic symbol for Goodyear
Years on from the blimp's first Le Mans appearance, both motorsports and strong branding remain important messages for Goodyear. Andreoni said: 'Motorsports has been part of our DNA since the very beginning but it's more than that, it's about how we make the connection between the business and motorsports. There's a lot of effort put into that. Just for Le Mans, we have 8,000 tires and 41 out of 60 cars competing with our tires.
'Endurance racing is the perfect platform to demonstrate the fact that you can be consistent throughout the entire life cycle of the product. In real life, as a driver, you need a tire that is safe and performs from the very first mile until the end. We are trying to shape the products of the future by always pushing the boundaries. Racing serves that purpose and helps us to be at the forefront of innovation.'

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