RE/MAX Celebrates the 35th Anniversary of Its Iconic Hot Air Balloon

Chicago, IL, November 08, 2013 --(PR.com)-- The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon, one of the most recognized real estate logos, commemorated its 35th anniversary in October with celebratory balloon flights around the world.

The familiar red, white and blue RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon made its debut at the 1978 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico when a RE/MAX Region Owner based in Albuquerque thought of putting RE/MAX in the sky. Soon after, the balloon was featured in the first RE/MAX advertising campaign on television and was quickly adopted as the official company logo, appearing with the slogan, “Above the Crowd!®.”

Since then, the RE/MAX balloon has become a familiar presence both nationally and in the Chicago area. Today the RE/MAX balloon fleet is recognized as the largest corporate hot air balloon fleet in the world with 108 balloons in 26 countries on six continents.

The RE/MAX balloon debuted at about the same time RE/MAX was founded in northern Illinois, and the region now has a fleet of two hot air balloons and several inflatable cold air balloons, including one that is a replica of the RE/MAX Soaring Home hot air balloon, a favorite with children.

Across northern Illinois, the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon is used frequently at festivals, charity events and in flights through the northern Illinois skies. It has made more than 150 local flights during the first 10 months of this year.

The RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon is best known locally for its role in the interactive educational program developed by the RE/MAX Northern Illinois regional organization that uses the balloon to help teach students in grades K-8 about the science and history of ballooning.

Schools interested in arranging for a visit from the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon can contact the RE/MAX regional office, 847-428-4200.

“Very few organizations have corporate logos that truly come alive to the public in the way the RE/MAX Hot Air Balloon has. It so clearly embodies our mission to be ‘Above the Crowd!’,” said Laura Ortoleva, RE/MAX media spokesperson in northern Illinois.

RE/MAX has been the leader in the northern Illinois real estate market since 1989. The RE/MAX Northern Illinois network, with headquarters in Elgin, Ill., consists of 2,000 sales associates and 100 individually owned and operated RE/MAX offices that provide a full range of residential and commercial brokerage services. Its www.illinoisproperty.com and remax.com websites are leaders in consumer visits among real estate franchise brands. The global.remax.com website allows consumers to search properties around the globe; theremaxcollection.com is a specialized portal of luxury properties across the U.S., and remaxcommercial.com displays commercial properties available nationwide and abroad. The northern Illinois network is part of RE/MAX LLC, a global real estate organization with 90,000+ sales associates in 90+ nations. The RE/MAX organization has been recognized for numerous industry honors for excellence, and its Associates continue to lead the industry in professional designations, experience and production. Nobody in the world sells more real estate than RE/MAX. RE/MAX is the official real estate partner of Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals and the national sponsor of Susan G. Komen for the Cure®.