NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new Christmas tradition joins the nation’s most-beloved spectacle as The Elf on the Shelf® giant helium balloon debuts this November in the 86th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. Taking a break from his scouting and naughty and nice list duties, the whimsical Elf is set to take to the sky over Manhattan on Nov. 22, 2012, to the delight of an entire generation of fans.
“Elf on the Shelf has quickly become a joyous tradition with kids and parents,” said Amy Kule, executive producer of Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “With this new helium giant, we are thrilled to add a little more Elf magic to the Parade’s incredible line-up of fun and whimsy that is set to kick-off the holiday season this November.”
“We are so proud to partner with Macy’s for the Thanksgiving Day Parade! Our goal in sharing The Elf on the Shelf was to give families a tradition they could make their own, so to become a part of this timeless American tradition is beyond an honor,” said Christa Pitts, CEO of CCA and B. “From the very beginning, we dreamed of partnering with Macy’s for this spectacular event and knowing Santa’s scout elf, The Elf on the Shelf, will fly in the Parade is a dream come true.”
The Elf on the Shelf giant helium balloon will be designed and created by the artists of Macy’s Parade Studio. From pixie-sized to out-of-this-world proportions, the Elf on the Shelf balloon promises to ignite the imagination of kids of all ages as it soars down the streets of Manhattan.
Since its debut in 2005, The Elf on the Shelf has grown into a new holiday tradition for millions of families. When not taking flight in the Macy’s Parade, the Elf on the Shelf comes in a keepsake box with a beautifully illustrated, watercolor board book and a special elf from the North Pole tucked inside. The book tells the heartwarming story of the scout elves sent by Santa with a mission to keep watch over children during the holiday season. When an elf is adopted by a family and given a name, it receives its Christmas magic. That magic is critical, granting the elf the power to observe all the family fun each day during the holiday season and then fly back to Santa’s workshop with a report each night. When children wake up the next morning, they race to see where their elf has decided to sit for the day ahead—creating endless joy and hide-and-seek fun throughout the holiday season for the whole family.
About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (NYSE:M):
With more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. For more than 80 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the Parade proudly marches down a more than 2-mile route in New York City with more than 8,000 participants in tow including Macy’s employees, their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups spreading holiday cheer. The Parade also features America’s best marching bands, fabulous floats and Macy’s signature giant helium character balloons. For more information on the Macy’s Parade please visit www.macys.com/parade or call the Parade hotline at (212) 494-4495.
About CCA and B:
CCA and B is an award-winning, family-owned publishing company based in Marietta, GA. Created in 2005, CCA and B is the publisher of the best-selling Christmas tradition, The Elf on the Shelf, and part of the creative team that developed and distributed the animated special, An Elf’s Story. In 2010, CCA and B was ranked on Inc. 500/5000’s list at #222. In 2011, The Elf on the Shelf’s first animated Christmas special, “An Elf’s Story,” debuted on CBS and DVD.
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