The Re/Max hot-air balloon, representing one of the most widely recognized real estate logos, commemorated its 35^th anniversary last fall with celebratory flights around the world.

The iconic red, white and blue balloon first appeared in 1978 at the Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta in New Mexico, thanks to a regional Re/Max franchisee. Shortly thereafter, it was featured in the first Re/Max advertising campaign on TV.

The balloon was quickly adopted as the company’s official logo, accompanied by the slogan, ‘Above the Crowd.’ As the franchise system grew, so did the fleet; by 1985, there were nearly 50 Re/Max hot-air balloons across Canada and the U.S.

Today, there are more than 100 in 26 countries, recognized as the world’s largest corporate hot-air balloon fleet.

“We were thrilled to see many celebrations of the balloon’s 35^th anniversary during the entire month of October,” says Abby Lee, Re/Max’s vice-president (VP) of brand marketing and advertising. “It is an integral part of our company’s history.”