Famously Macy's

Oct 20, 2008

Download the AdweekMedia Macy's 150th Anniversary Salute here(PDF)






THANKSGIVING DAY PARADE
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade was begun in 1924 by the store's immigrant employees to celebrate their new American heritage. It featured live animals from the Central Park Zoo. The parade was stopped in 1942 due to World War II and all the rubber from balloons was donated to the war effort. The parade resumed in 1945. 2008 will be the 82nd parade.

FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SPECTACULAR
The spectacle started in 1976 on the nation's bicentennial. In recent years it has been billed as the largest in the U.S., reportedly comprised of more than 35,000 shells, more than 40,000 pounds of fireworks, and more than 120,000 bursts of color and light. The
American Pyrotechnics Association lists it among the top 10 fireworks displays in America.

MACY'S FLOWER SHOWS
Debuting at Macy's in California as the first department store flower show in 1946, the event started as a fragrance promotion in the cosmetics department, and has evolved into one of Macy's most beloved traditions. Every year the events usher in spring with grand displays of colorful floral creations made from thousands of species.

MACY'S HERALD SQUARE STORE ON BROADWAY AND 34TH STREET
With the store's 7th Avenue expansion completed in 1924, it became the "World's Largest Store," with over 1 million square feet of retail space. As the flagship property in the Macy's family, the Herald Square store carries with it a history so rich that the location is a huge tourist attraction, drawing shoppers from around the world.

MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET
Thousands of older Baby Boomers always think fondly of Macy's from first seeing it in its "starring role" in this Christmas-themed 1947 film featuring Maureen O'Hara and Natalie Wood.


For more Macy's 150th Anniversary Salute coverage:
Macy's: An American Icon
Macy's and the Media
The Local Angle
Macy's "five-point" strategy
Famously Macy's