1924: Macy's Day Parade becomes brand bonanza
1924 marks the year of the very rst Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade – an annual celebration that over the years has become as synonymous with the American holiday as turkey and stu ng. Each year more than 3.5 million people in New York City and over 50 million people at home watch the parade to kick o the holiday season.
Macy's Day Parade
The giant balloons that oat through the streets of New York City on Thanksgiving have become a staple of the celebration. In between high school marching bands and Broadway performances, children and adults alike gawk at the balloons as they tower over Manhattan.
Over the years, a number of brand mascots have had their own
Macy’s balloons and oats, with many returning year after year. Ronald McDonald, the Pillsbury Doughboy and the Kool-Aid Man are just a few of the brand mascots to have appeared in the parade in recent years while the event is also often used as a promotional opportunity for Broadway shows too.
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