Macy’s celebrates the holidays with a girl, Virginia, who really believes in Santa Claus
Macy’s is going deep into Christmas lore with a modern twist in its new holiday campaign, ‘Santa Girl’.
Macy's Christmas ad 2019
The two-minute spot stars The Florida Project’s Brooklynn Prince as Virginia – taken from the oft-repeated 1897 editorial from the New York Sun that spawned the phrase ‘Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus’ – who sees Santa during the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and decides she wants to be him.
She stuffs her sweaters to build out her Santa body, but she is ridiculed at school. Finally, her parents figure out how to lift her spirits – make their pickup truck into a lighted sleigh and go around town and deliver toys, even to the ones who made fun of her.
The spot, directed by the Oscar-nominated Garth Davis, is made to remind both young and old that anything is possible if you believe.
“At Macy’s, we know the power of celebration, bringing friends and family of all generations together, whether shopping in our stores or enjoying our iconic events,” said Rich Lennox, Macy’s chief marketing officer.
“With Santa Girl, we’ve created one of our most powerful campaigns to date, bringing to life the magic and wonder of the season, while further positioning Macy’s as the gift authority and Believe as the emotional epicenter of the holidays.”
Produced by Macy’s in collaboration with BBDO New York, the 30-second anthemic spot will air across television, online video and social, along with robust supportive content, including an extended two-minute version that feels more like watching a film than a traditional ad.
Also contributing to the story is the Emmy-winning cinematographer Adam Arkapaw (True Detective) and Oscar-nominated, Emmy-winning composer Dustin O’Halloran (Lion).
Additionally, this year’s iconic Macy’s Herald Square holiday windows on Broadway titled ‘Believe in the Wonder’ are inspired by Santa Girl. The theme is brought to life by combining modern technological and interactive elements with old school artistry.
