SANTA FE, NM – According to the Unicode Consortium, a non-profit corporation that reviews and approves emojis for use on electronic devices around the globe, there are nearly 3,800 emojis – and yet, a hot air balloon is not among them.
But the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) is calling for change. NMTD will launch a petition on the opening day of the 2024 Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta on Saturday, October 5, that calls for the Unicode Consortium to review and (hopefully) approve a proposed hot air balloon emoji, which has been pending review since January 2020.
New Mexico residents, Balloon Fiesta guests and ballooning enthusiasts around the world are encouraged to add their name to the petition, which will be available on the NMTD website at www.newmexico.org/industry and at the New Mexico True booth at Balloon Fiesta Park over the duration of Balloon Fiesta.
“In a world of global communication, emojis have emerged as a way for all of us to communicate meaning and experience no matter where we are from,” said Acting Secretary Lancing Adams. “We find it rather ‘deflating’ that the hot air balloon is not one of the thousands of emojis that exist. As the Ballooning Capital of the World, we believe it’s time for that to change.”
There is precedent of individuals and entities advocating for depiction of a state’s identity through emojis, such as a state legislator from Maine that pushed for the creation of the lobster emoji. Despite the fact that a hot air balloon emoji has been pending review since January 2020, the Unicode Consortium has approved 483 emojis from 2020-2023.
“It’s certainly encouraging that a hot air balloon emoji is technically pending approval, but four years is a long time to wait for a decision. We hope that by showing the folks with the Unicode Consortium how many people want to bring the hot air balloon emoji to life, we can drive action and deliver this for the world,” Adams said.
Click here for a link to the petition.
*Please note: the hot air balloon emoji graphic included with this press release was produced purely for illustrative purposes and may not reflect the actual design submitted to the Unicode Consortium.