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Actually, Sterling, One Blimp Wins for All-Condition Aerial Coverage

February 26, 2014


Actually, Sterling, One Blimp Wins for All-Condition Aerial Coverage featured image

To the eye, aerial advertising would seem to be a seasonal, weather-dependent marketing vehicle. Planes, after all, can’t take off or land in extreme weather – right? And while many people believe airships can’t fly in inclement weather conditions, Van Wagner has been coveting one special breed of blimp since the early 90s.

The A-60+ Lightship – a versatile, reliable advertising champion of the sky – is a rare combination of lightweight structure and massive branding real estate. Having flown over six continents and 35 countries, this workhorse of an airship fits in a single shipping container without the need for large support crews. The airship can, and has, braved extreme temperatures and precipitation, and illuminates internally for unparalleled branding both day and night.

That’s why it comes as no surprise that the A-60+ airship has covered several Olympic games – from Barcelona and Lillehammer to Atlanta and London.

Lillehammer BlimpAt the Lillehammer Olympics in 1994, the airship operated for three weeks, providing aerial coverage for CBS during such snow-centric events as the High Jump ski competition. With the Norwegian army clearing airspace, the blimp proved to be an efficient way  to provide Olympic broadcast coverage like never before. The A-60+ handled the icy Norwegian winter incredibly well, with heating elements keeping the engines warm and operational. Snow was removed, as needed, by pulling a rope over the top of the blimp.

Van Wagner will look to its trusted A-60+ as it heads into another familiar frontier, Brazil.  Brazil is the host country to both the World Cup (2014) and the Summer Olympic Games (2016) and will be another great opportunity to leverage this impressive Airship on a global scale.  It’s also a homecoming of sorts for Van Wagner and the A-60+, as one of these massive airships spent almost a decade cruising in Brazil from 1997-2007…    

Blimps are a unique, mobile and nimble way for both broadcasters and brands to gain incredible coverage, no matter what the season.

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