ST. LOUIS & NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On Nov. 26, a new float from Build-A-Bear, a global brand kids love and parents trust, will roll through Manhattan during the 89th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. The latest Build-A-Bear float in the annual spectacle will feature a variety of scenes and of course, bears – all with one mission in mind: Discover Adventure! A part of the Macy’s Parade family since 2002, this year’s latest floating wonder marks the third Build-A-Bear float for the Parade which is sure to delight the more than 3.5 million spectators lining the Parade route on Thanksgiving Day.
“Making memories and celebrating life’s moments are at the heart of everything we do, and countless memories are made every year when the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, one of America’s most anticipated events, takes place,” said Gina Collins, chief marketing officer, Build-A-Bear. “We worked closely with the talented team at Macy’s to create exciting scenes that evoke a sense of adventure and incorporate teddy bears – the icons of our brand – into one incredible new float.”
“For nearly 90 years, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has brought generations of families together to enjoy the wonder and magic of the official kick off to the holiday season,” said Amy Kule, executive producer, Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. “Once again, we enthusiastically welcome Build-A-Bear and their new float to our glorious procession as together we celebrate the childlike spirit in everyone.”
The engineers and craftspeople at Macy’s Parade Studio began working with Build-A-Bear on the new concept in early 2015, and construction took approximately five months. The front view of the float begins with two bears playfully riding ocean waves, while a sailboat captained by a Sailor Bear rocks gently overhead. A castle featuring Build-A-Bear’s icon, Bearnard, serves as the centerpiece, complete with a friendly, smoke-breathing dragon climbing up to see a Princess Bear, who showers the crowds with confetti. The sides of the float feature different scenes of wonder and adventure including a classic teddy-bear tea party, as well as a trip to outer space on a rocket ship manned by an Astronaut Bear, who turns his head to gaze upon the world as he flies into the air with bouncing stars.
More than 50 million viewers tune in to watch the magic of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade each year. The latest design from Build-A-Bear is one of only five new floats that will take part in this year’s event.
“As we look ahead to our upcoming anniversary, we recently unveiled a fresh look and feel through our new Discovery concept stores, so it was important to reflect that into the design of our newest float in the Macy’s Parade,” added Collins. “On Thanksgiving Day, our float will allow millions to get a peek at the fresh face of Build-A-Bear.”
Build-A-Bear is a multi-generational brand that will celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2017. Since the company was founded in 1997, more than 145 million furry friends have been made.
In addition to the Parade experience, this holiday season, Build-A-Bear is once again teaming up with Macy’s to offer shop-in-shops at seven Macy’s locations nationwide so that shoppers can take part in the full Build-A-Bear Workshop experience inside a Macy’s store.
Build-A-Bear Workshop will also bring its wildly popular Merry Mission story to life with the return of everyone’s favorite eight reindeer, along with a brand-new face, to stores this season. Glisten, the strongest, fastest reindeer of all time will light the night and help Santa and his team deliver toys to everyone on the nice list. Her special medallion unlocks the Merry Mission app and its features, and additional outfits and accessories are sold separately. Fans can download the updated Merry Mission app on iTunes and Google Play starting Nov. 1.
For more information, visit buildabear.com and follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram. The 89th annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade airs nationwide on NBC-TV, on Thursday, Nov. 26, 2015, from 9 a.m. – noon; in all time zones.
About Build-A-Bear
Founded in St. Louis in 1997, Build-A-Bear, a global brand kids love and parents trust, seeks to add a little more heart to life. Build-A-Bear has approximately 400 stores worldwide where guests can create customizable furry friends, including company-owned stores in the United States, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, and franchise stores in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. The company was named to the FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® list for the seventh year in a row in 2015. Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (NYSE:BBW) posted a total revenue of $392.4 million in fiscal 2014. For more information, visit the Investor Relations section of buildabear.com.
About the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
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 almost 90 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 (NYSE:M) 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.
