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Watch your heads as the Flying Ace glides down the parade route! That’s right, fans, in honor of the PEANUTS® 60th Anniversary, Snoopy™ returns to the Macy’s Parade making a record 34th appearance. Donning binoculars, an aviator’s cap, a pair of goggles and his signature red scarf, the Flying Ace is geared up for yet another face-off with the elusive Red Baron. The Flying Ace is the sixth helium-filled iteration of the canine Peanuts gang member, preceded by Millennium Snoopy, Snoopy & Woodstock, Skating Snoopy, Astronaut Snoopy and Aviator Snoopy.

Accompanying the pilot pooch from the ground will be his dog house, festooned as the air traffic control tower, and Woodstock as the air traffic control chief who guides the whooshing tail-wagger down the avenue. On the float, surveying the fantastic battle between the aviating hound and the evasive Red Baron, will be Charlie Brown, Lucy and Linus.

Fun Facts: United Feature Syndicate’s Snoopy the Flying Ace stands at 52 feet high, 25 feet wide and 49.5 feet long. He is filled with 15,000 cubic feet of helium. That’s a dog I wouldn’t want to be standing under on Thanksgiving Day. Just sayin’.

Contributed by: Jenna Wise

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Most of us remember the Energizer Bunny television advertisements that started in the late 80s.  The bunny, wearing oversized sunglasses and flip flops “interrupted” our commercials in all of its bunny glory.  What started as a parody of Duracell’s commercials developed into Energizer’s own breakthrough campaign.  The storyline was easily incorporated into other advertisements and the Bunny endured for years to come.  It has consistently symbolized the idea of perseverance and endurance, ironically describing both the product (long –lasting batteries) and the brand strategy itself.   By the 90s, the Energizer Bunny became recognized as a national symbol.  Today, this marketing icon is known as one of the top signature characters of the 20^th century.

Not surprisingly, the Bunny was introduced to the renowned Macy’s Day parade in 2006.  For its third parade appearance in 2008, with Macy’s permission, Energizer celebrated the Bunny’s 20^th birthday by bringing the commercial to life.   What is now known as the “Great Escape” involved pre-meditated police involvement for a surprise at the end of the parade route.  As the rest of the precession turned north onto Seventh Avenue, the Energizer Bunny continued its way down 34^th Street and kept “going…going…and…going”.  Attendees were very entertained and the campaign as a whole has continued to translate well to the nature of the brand.  Watch the Bunny’s Thanksgiving Day Parade video here.

By: Ashley Popham

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What better way to generate brand loyalty than by hosting one of the biggest annual events of the year?  As the longest running show on Broadway, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has become a brand itself since its inception in 1924.  It was created to stimulate the economy by lengthening the holiday shopping and is now internationally recognized as the official start date of the holiday season.  The compelling event includes three hours filled of balloons, floats, live music and other performances.  Each year, an estimated three million people attend and more than 44 million people watch the parade on television. 

Macy’s celebrated its 150^th birthday last year.  Their annual Thanksgiving parade has become a long term corporate promotion that has likely given the brand its long standing national recognition – and probably saved it today from the fate of dozens of other retail stores. 

In the following days, brand salsa will feature several of the balloons and floats that have made the event special over the last eighty years. Floats of many different themes have made the march through the streets of Manhattan.  Some are tradition, while others change every year, successfully promoting their brand identity.

By:  Ashley Popham

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Face it.  You just can’t celebrate Thanksgiving without indulging in a Pumpkin Pie.  In fact, even America’s pilgrims thought so when one early celebration was delayed pending the arrival of a supply ship carrying molasses, an essential ingredient for baking pies of the time.
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