Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. has selected 10 finalists in the "Name The Blimp" contest. (See "Name that blimp," April 10, 2006.)
The company says more than 21,000 unique names were submitted. "We were thrilled by the tremendous response both in quantity and quality of the submissions," says Chuck Sinclair, senior vice president of global communications. "There were several emerging themes that illustrate the passion that the American public has for our iconic airships."
A panel of expert judges selected 10 finalist names based on their ability to reflect the storied history of the Goodyear airship, its long tradition of public service, the grace and majesty of air flight, and Goodyear's history of innovation and progress. The 10 names are, in alphabetical order:
1. American Dream.
2. Freedom.
3. Liberty.
4. Patriot.
5. Patriot of Peace.
6. Pride of America.
7. Spirit of Endurance.
8. Spirit of Ingenuity.
9. Spirit of Innovation.
10. The Spirit of Peace.
The list of 10 finalist names are posted on the official www.nametheblimp.com contest Web site. Online public voting will end promptly at 11:59 p.m. ET on May 31, 2006.
Public voting and the votes of a panel of Goodyear representatives will determine the winning name, which will be announced in mid-June during a gala christening ceremony at Goodyear's airship base near Akron, Ohio.
The person submitting the winning name will be awarded the Grand Prize: use of the Goodyear blimp for a day. Those submitting the other nine finalist names each will receive a new set of Goodyear tires.
For complete details and official rules, go to www.nametheblimp.com.
