Goodyear Announces Winner of Nationwide Contest to Name Newest Blimp - Video Available
Ohio Resident Wins Use of a Goodyear Blimp For a Day
AKRON, Ohio, June 21 -- In a gala event held at its Wingfoot Lake Airship Hangar today, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company christened its newest airship: Spirit of Innovation. Matthew Harrelson of Uniontown, Ohio submitted the winning name in the company's "Name the Blimp" contest and is awarded the Grand Prize, the use of a Goodyear blimp for a day. The winning name was officially selected based upon a nationwide vote by the American public and a panel of Goodyear judges.
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"The response from the American public was both overwhelming and gratifying, and I was pleased that the name Spirit of Innovation was chosen," said Bob Keegan, CEO and president, Goodyear. "Innovation has been a critical part of our evolution as a company, from innovation in our new product offerings, to innovation in the way we now do our jobs. The fact that the American public agreed with their votes is further proof that innovation is becoming synonymous with Goodyear."
For the first time in the 81-year history of its airship program, Goodyear launched its newest blimp on March 27th without a name. Instead, on April 10th the company unveiled the new blimp bearing the world's largest blank nametag, and launched a nationwide contest to search for a name. Between April 11th and April 30th, the contest enjoyed a groundswell of participation from around the country, with unique name suggestions coming from residents in each of the 48 eligible states and the District of Columbia.
Matthew Harrelson, a chemistry teacher and Akron-area resident, suggested Spirit of Innovation because he was familiar with Goodyear and the company's history of innovation. "Living near Goodyear everyone hears when they come out with another high-tech product, and having seen Charles Goodyear in the National Inventors Hall of Fame, it was easy to connect Goodyear and innovation ... and then 'Spirit' just seemed to make the name flow better," said Harrelson.
From the more than 21,000 unique names submitted, a panel of judges selected ten 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. Between May 7th and May 31st, America and a panel of Goodyear representatives voted, with Spirit of Innovation ultimately receiving the most votes.
Contest Details
The list of ten finalist names was posted on the official www.nametheblimp.com contest web site at 12:01 am ET on May 7th, 2006. For complete details and official rules, go to www.nametheblimp.com.
About The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company
For more information on Goodyear's tires, go to www.goodyeartires.com.
Video: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/goodyear/24701NOTE TO EDITORS: Downloadable photos are available at Goodyear's media website, www.GoodyearNewsRoom.com.