Everyone has seen the blimp. Very few people could say why the next one had to be built. This video is about four minutes of narration, and it answers that before it shows a ship being born. It starts in 1917, with Goodyear as the company the narration credits for America's lighter-than-air story: military ships including the Akron and the Macon, helium in the Pilgrim in 1925, a wartime escort job, then six blimps back in commercial service and, since 1955, television coverage of sports and entertainment.
The turn is the aging fleet. The narration says Goodyear wanted an airship that could serve for the next century and look like a technology company, and that Zeppelin was chosen because few makers in the world could meet the requirements. Parts arrive. A new ship is about to be born. Then the video says what the blimp is for now: a mark the narration compares to the Budweiser Clydesdales, goodwill, dealers, charity, STEM, and a logo over cities and events. The close is the next hundred years, not a spec sheet.
Another company hiring Beacon for a history video like this is buying the reason the symbol still exists. Recognition is not the same as a reason to care about the new one.
Goodyear did not need a catalogue of tire lines in this cut. They needed the ship. That is what this video is for.
Read transcript Video dialogue and narration
[00:00.000] America's romance with lighter-than-air vehicles is due chiefly to the efforts of Goodyear.
[00:07.320] A pioneer in aviation, Goodyear has engineered and built over 320 airships for both the military
[00:14.480] and commercial purposes since 1917.
[00:18.200] Of this number, 250 were constructed under contract for the Army or the Navy, including
[00:23.720] the monstrous Zeppelins, the USS Akron, and the Macon.
[00:28.720] In 1925, it was Goodyear that pioneered the use of helium in airships when its first commercial
[00:35.360] blimp, the pilgrim, was inflated with this non-flammable gas.
[00:40.220] This was the beginning of Goodyear's commercial airship operation.
[00:45.060] Before World War II, the Navy had only 10 non-rigid airships in operation.
[00:50.020] However, by the end of the war, they would have 168 in operation, all of which were constructed
[00:56.760] by Goodyear.
[00:58.320] In fact, after Pearl Harbor, even Goodyear's fleet of blimps were drafted into the Navy.
[01:05.080] During the war, 532 ships carrying troops and supplies to support the war effort were
[01:10.800] sunk by German U-boats.
[01:13.340] Having seen enough loss, the Navy began using Goodyear-built airships as escort vehicles.
[01:19.560] Those airships escorted 89,000 ships without a single lost vessel.
[01:25.560] Because of Goodyear airships, the terror of U-boat attacks diminished.
[01:32.400] After the war, Goodyear's six blimps were returned and placed back into commercial service.
[01:38.320] Since 1955, Goodyear blimps have been used to televise live sports and entertainment
[01:43.480] events around the world.
[01:46.440] However, Goodyear's aging fleet was reaching the end of its life.
[01:51.640] As an innovator, Goodyear searched diligently for a new design to carry on its long tradition
[01:57.100] of airship excellence.
[01:59.240] When Goodyear was building its new corporate headquarters, they wanted an airship that
[02:03.440] would not only serve the company for the next century, but would reflect Goodyear's brand
[02:08.440] as a leader in cutting-edge technology.
[02:12.840] Since there were only a handful of airship manufacturers in the world, Zeppelin was chosen
[02:17.600] is the best option because they met all the unique requirements Goodyear demanded of their
[02:22.320] blimp. After seven years of planning, parts finally began to arrive. A new airship was
[02:29.440] about to be born.
[02:47.600] The blimps are to Goodyear what the Clydesdales are to Budweiser.
[02:52.600] The blimp, one of the most recognized symbols in the world, reflects positively on the company while serving as its corporate ambassador.
[03:00.600] Besides providing television coverage for major sporting and entertainment events,
[03:04.600] the blimp creates goodwill for the company and supports tire dealerships around the world.
[03:10.600] It's used for charity and has even helped make dreams and last wishes come true for many.
[03:17.600] It's also used to inspire and educate a new generation of engineers and scientists through STEM education.
[03:24.600] The Goodyear Blimp is always flying high over major cities and important venues, including events like the Olympics.
[03:31.600] Americans have seen Saturn V rockets, Skylab and the Space Shuttle all pass away.
[03:38.600] But ever since 1925, the world has seen the Goodyear blimp gracing the skies with its
[03:45.160] wing foot logo blazoned on its side.
[03:50.160] The new airship ensures that future generations will continue a romance with this iconic symbol
[03:55.940] as we launch into the next 100 years of Goodyear innovation and excellence.
