Weekend Advertising Balloon & Blimp Rentals | Buy the Asset, Run the Jobs

Arizona Balloon Company · Built in Arizona since 1979

Own the balloon. Rent the weekends.

This is a turnkey local rental setup, not a distributorship. You buy a USA-made polyurethane advertising balloon or blimp from Arizona Balloon Company. You own it. Then you rent it on weekends to home builders, car dealers, grand openings, and other businesses that already pay to be seen from the street.

Most advertising inflatables bleed money on helium. Ours do not. Polyurethane uses substantially less helium than many larger PVC designs, so a short rental can actually pencil after the first fill. That is the whole offer.

The offer in three beats

Typical weekend numbers operators use

Operators commonly charge about $495 a weekend for an advertising balloon and about $595 a weekend for a 13-foot advertising blimp. Those are rental rates you charge locally. They are not income guarantees.

5.5-foot advertising balloon

Listed factory investment about $351. Uses about 113 cubic feet of helium.

First fill in many markets runs roughly $200 to $350 depending on local helium. Weekend rental rate operators often charge: $495.

Comparable PVC programs often need a larger ball and roughly twice the gas to fly no better.

13-foot advertising blimp

Listed factory investment about $975. Uses about 170 cubic feet of helium.

First fill is typically in the same $250 to $350 range. Weekend rental rate operators often charge: $595.

A 20-foot PVC blimp can take about four times the helium and still not fly as well in wind.

Published prices are the inflatable itself. Custom lettering, tethers, and the first helium tank are extra. A 200-cubic-foot helium tank often costs around $250 to $350 depending on your city. Call for a current complete-kit quote.

Why the trailer is the real system

The job is usually up Saturday morning, down Sunday night. If you deflate and refill every week, helium eats the margin. If you roll the inflated balloon into an enclosed trailer, park it, and roll it back out the next weekend, you are often putting about $10 of helium back in instead of $200 to $250.

That storage habit is what makes a polyurethane rental program economically feasible. It is also why this is not “buy a balloon and hope.” The operating method matters as much as the product.

Why polyurethane changes the rental math

• Arizona Balloon Company has built advertising inflatables in Arizona since 1979.
• Polyurethane film is lighter and far less porous than PVC, so it needs less gas to fly and holds helium longer.
• Our blimps use substantially less helium than many larger PVC designs blimps. That is why short-term rentals can work.
• A 13-foot polyurethane blimp uses about 170 cubic feet of helium. Many PVC setups that try to do the same street-level job start at a much larger envelope.
• Units are designed and manufactured in-house in the USA, then shipped nationwide.

Who rents these locally

• Home builders — model homes and new communities that need traffic from the road.
• Car dealers — weekend sales that have to be visible from a mile of passing traffic.
• Grand openings — one-weekend jobs that already have a promotion budget.
• Trade shows and outdoor events — when the customer needs a marker in the sky, not another banner on a fence.

Arizona Balloon Company products have been used by home builders, auto dealers, and institutions including NASA, JPL, the U.S. Navy, ASU, and NIH. You are selling a proven visibility tool, not a novelty.

How to start

1. Pick the first asset. Most operators start with the 5.5-foot balloon because the buy-in is lower. Add a 13-foot blimp when the calendar fills.
2. Get an enclosed trailer. This is the difference between a hobby and a rental route. The balloon lives in the trailer between jobs.
3. Arrange local helium. Airgas, Linde, and similar suppliers in most cities. Budget the first full fill; later weekends are top-offs.
4. Call the people who already advertise outdoors. Model-home sales managers, dealership GMs, grand-opening coordinators, and event companies. One sentence works: “I can put a branded balloon over your site Saturday and Sunday.”
5. Charge the weekend, not the hour. $495 for the balloon. $595 for the blimp. Saturday up, Sunday down.

What you are not buying

This is not a franchise, not a multi-level program, and not a promised income plan. Arizona Balloon Company manufactures and sells the inflatables. You run the local rental work. Results depend on your market, your trailer setup, helium prices, weather, and how many weekends you actually book.

Frequently asked questions

Is this a distributorship?

No. You buy the product. You own it. You decide whether to rent it, fly it for clients, or resell a branded unit. We supply the inflatable and the operating method that makes weekend rentals realistic.

How much does an advertising balloon cost to buy?

A 5.5-foot advertising balloon is listed around $351 on our price list. Sizes and custom print change the number. See the current advertising balloon and blimp price list or call for a quote.

How much does a 13-foot advertising blimp cost?

A 13-foot advertising blimp is listed around $975 before custom lettering and hardware. Call 1-800-791-1445 for a fly-ready quote.

Why can I rent these when PVC rental programs struggle?

PVC needs more helium to lift and leaks faster. After a few weekends, gas cost can wipe out the rental fee. Polyurethane uses less helium and holds it longer, especially if the unit stays inflated in an enclosed trailer between jobs.

Do I have to buy helium from Arizona Balloon Company?

No. You buy helium locally. A 200-cubic-foot tank commonly lands around $250 to $350 depending on the market.

Do you ship nationwide?

Yes. We manufacture in Arizona and ship advertising balloons and blimps across the United States.

Can I also just buy one for my own business?

Yes. Plenty of home builders and dealers buy and fly their own. This page is for people who want to own the equipment and rent it out locally as well.