Stella Artois unveils London airship branding deal

The Stella Artois: Star Over London makes its maiden voyage next month and will offer flights for six weeks, from 10 July until 21 August.

Flights in the branded aircraft will take off from Upminster in east London. It will fly for an average of five hours a day, with a maximum of 12 seats per flight.

The dirigible will have three different routes, each of which will offer passengers unusual views of some of London's most famous historical buildings, parks and landmarks. Tickets are priced from £185 for a half-hour flight to £360 for an hour-long trip.

The airship deal follows Stella Artois' announcement that it was ending its 30-year sponsorship of the Queen's Club tennis tournament after a restructure of the Lawn Tennis Association's commercial operations. This year's tournament ended last Sunday.

InBev UK & Ireland marketing director Andreas Hilger said the airship sponsorship was the first of several initiatives planned for the coming months.

In his first interview since taking up the position in March, he revealed that Stella Artois' marketing budget would rise 'substantially'.

This article was first published on Marketing