In April and May 2007, across the world from Sao Paolo to Beijing, thousands of red balloons were launched in a balloon race to celebrate the publication of the Second Edition of the Macmillan English Dictionary for advanced learners. 7,500 of these balloons were attached to a ticket on which one of Macmillan English Dictionary’s 7,500 ‘red words’ were be printed.
The distinction that the Macmillan English Dictionary makes between this high-frequency core vocabulary (printed in red) which learners need to learn and use,
and the less common words needed mainly for reference (printed in black) was a major innovation of
the Macmillan English Dictionary when it was first published in 2002. While there are around one million words in the English language, 7,500 words represent
the vocabulary that native speakers use 90% of the
time.
Not only did the balloon launch spread these red words across the world, but spectators also had the chance to win a hot-air balloon ride or a trip around the world themselves. Each red word was associated with a participant, and the distance of each ticket’s journey was measured when it was found and returned to its launch location.
The balloon race is now closed. Balloons were launched in Oxford, London, Beijing, São Paulo, Bucharest and Madrid.
Please click here to find out who won, and to take a look at the races that took place.
The balloons released were fully biodegradable (they biodegrade at the same rate as an oak leaf) and helium gas is non-toxic and non-flammable. We attached the paper tickets to the balloons using no string, ribbon, or valves. In this way we minimised the environmental risks of the launch.
Click here for the Terms and Conditions of the balloon race.