• by Erik Sass  @eriksass1, March 3, 2014

DirecTV and Van Wagner Airship Group are taking digital out-of-home advertising to new heights with the world’s largest LED sign on a blimp.
 
The new Van Wagner dirigible boasts a 2,100-square-foot LED “Lightsign” screen composed of 4,200 LED boards and 235,200 LEDs, making it unique in the world of advertising airships. The sign’s brightness is optimized to perform in daylight, as well as at nighttime conditions.

The vessel is also equipped with a GPS system and webcam to capture footage of its travels during a U.S. tour that kicked off March 1.
 
DirecTV Senior Vice President for Marketing and Advertising Jon Gieselman stated: “The DirecTV blimp has been a prominent fixture at many of the nation’s largest sporting events since 2007. But this new technology-rich airship will be a far more spectacular sight in the sky and is sure to stop people in their tracks as they look up at this amazing new sight.”
 
As usual, the DirecTV blimp will host various charitable events for children, including special blimp trips for kids with serious medical conditions.
 
In September 2012, Van Wagner acquired blimp advertising operator Lightship Group and its fleet of 19 blimps, which feature a unique internal lighting system. The acquisition also included American Blimp Corp., which makes the blimps for Lightship. The acquisition augmented Van Wagner's Aerial Media Group, which operates banner-towing airplanes.
 
DirecTV’s mega-screen blimp is just the latest in a series of customized executions by Van Wagner for ad clients. Last year, Universal Pictures promoted "Despicable Me 2” with an elaborate aerial advertising campaign, created in collaboration with Maxus and Kinetic Worldwide, centering on the “Despicablimp” -- Van Wagner airship featuring original artwork depicting the movie’s Minion character.

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