Bristol Balloon Fiesta 2000 - Friday AM Launch 

Ikr

Not the fiestas fault. Its due to commercial businesses no longer believing special shapes are worth the cost.

@@bloonsfamguy But in the year 2000 businesses thought it was? Okay then.

Advertising has changed massively over the past 20 years. Back then the internet was relatively new and social media didn't exist so the only real ways of promoting a brand were either through TV or print media. Fast forward to the present and the easiest way to promote a brand is online - relatively cheap and easy to do and a much larger exposure (as an example, think of how many views an advert before a popular video on here would get), and that's not including getting someone to promote your brand for you (See "influencers".) Jambob Mills comment is also correct, companies would have to consider something that would cost a potential six figure amount or above for something that can be seen outdoors in only the finest of weather conditions. The final factor is the 2001 Foot & Mouth crisis which devastated the UK ballooning scene, but we have to be thankful for companies like Exclusive Ballooning for bringing special shapes such as the Longleat Sky Safari fleet, Ricoh cube and Hunter boot to the Fiesta. Yes, there may be a smaller number of shapes around nowadays, but they are still around.