Balloon and Float Promotions

Throughout the years, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has housed nearly 200 different balloons of famous cartoon characters. A large majority of these balloons were introduced to the Parade in order to promote a specific movie, television show, merchandise releases, and more.

Below, you will find a list of balloons that were part of a promotional campaign, alongside their respective promotions.

## Giant Balloons

### 1951

* Mighty Mouse - Created to celebrate in the next year his 10th Birthday.

### 1964

* Linus the Lionhearted - Created to promote the television series, *Linus the Lionhearted*.
* Donald Duck - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 30th Birthday.

### 1970

* Happy Dragon - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 10th Birthday.

### 1973

* Astronaut Snoopy - Returned to the lineup to promote the television special, *A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving*.

### 1974

* Smokey Bear - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 30th Birthday.
* Underdog - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 10th Birthday.

### 1978

* Mickey Mouse - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 50th birthday and to honor Mickey having a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

### 1979

* Linus the Lionhearted - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate his 20th Birthday.
* Bullwinkle J. Moose - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate *The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show*'s 20th anniversary.

### 1980

* Happy Dragon - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate his 20th Birthday.
* Aviator Snoopy - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate *Peanuts*' 30th anniversary and to promote *Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown! (and Don't Come Back!)*.
* Superman - created to promote the movie, *Superman II*.

### 1983

* Mickey Mouse - Returned to the lineup to promote The Disney Channel, the opening of Tokyo Disneyland, Mickey's Christmas Carol, and to celebrate his 55th Birthday and Walt Disney Productions' 60th Anniversary.
* Kermit the Frog - Returned to the lineup to promote *The Muppets Take Manhattan*.

### 1984

* Donald Duck - Returned to the lineup to celebrate his 50th Birthday.
* Kermit the Frog - Returned to the lineup to promote "Muppet Babies".

### 1987

* Kermit the Frog - Returned to the lineup to promote A Muppets Family Christmas.

* Woody Woodpecker - Returned to the lineup to celebrate his 40th birthday.

### 1988

* Garfield - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 10th Birthday and the premiere of Garfield and Friends.
* Quik Bunny - Created to help celebrate Nestlé Quik's 40th anniversary.

### 1989

* Bugs Bunny - Created to prepare for his 50th birthday in 1990.

### 1990

* Bugs Bunny - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 50th birthday, and to promote *Tiny Toon Adventures.*
* Kermit the Frog - retured to the lineup to pay tribute to Jim Henson.

### 1993

* Beethoven the Dog - Created to promote the movie, *Beethoven's 2nd*.
* Garfield - returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 15th Birthday.
* The Pink Panther - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 30th Birthday.
* Smokey Bear - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 50th Birthday.
* Ronald McDonald - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 30th Birthday.
* Rex the Dinosaur - Created to promote the movie, *We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story*.
* Quik Bunny - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 20th Birthday.
* Snuggle Bear - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 10th Birthday.

### 1994

* Woody Woodpecker - Returned to the lineup to pay tribute to Walter Lantz.

### 1997

* Arthur Read - Created to promote the television series, *Arthur*.
* Peter Rabbit - Returned to the lineup to promote *The World of Peter Rabbit Exhibit* at the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey.
* Barney the Dinosaur - Returned to the lineup to promote the movie, *Barney's Great Adventure*.
* Sonic the Hedgehog - returned to the lineup to promote the video game, *Sonic R*.
* The Cat in the Hat - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate the book's 40th Anniversary.
* Spider-Man - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 35th Birthday, as well as Stan Lee's 75th Birthday in December 1997.
* Bumpé - Created to promote the book, *Bumpé ABC*.

### 1998

* Babe the Pig - Created to promote the movie, *Babe: Pig in the City*.
* Barney the Dinosaur - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate his 10th Birthday.
* Garfield - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate his 20th Birthday.
* Rugrats - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the movie, *The Rugrats Movie*.
* Quik Bunny - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate Nestle Quik's 50th Birthday.

### 1999

* Rocky and Bullwinkle - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate *The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show*'s 40th anniversary and to promote the movie, *The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle*.

### 2000

* Rugrats - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the movie, *Rugrats in Paris: The Movie*.
* Rocky and Bullwinkle - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote *The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle*'s VHS and DVD releases.

### 2001

* Jimmy Neutron - Created to promote the movie, *Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius*.

### 2002

* Blue - Returned to the Parade lineup to welcome Joe to *Blue's Clues*.
* Jimmy Neutron - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote *The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius*.
* Pikachu - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote *Pokemon 4Ever*.
* Kermit the Frog - Created to help celebrate The Muppet Show's 25th Anniversary, and to promote *Kermit's Swamp Years* and *It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie* and also the holiday ambassador.

### 2004

* Chicken Little - Created to promote the movie, *Chicken Little*.
* SpongeBob SquarePants - created to promote the movie *The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie*.

### 2005

* Scooby-Doo - Created to promote the direct-to-video movie, *Scooby-Doo: Where's My Mummy?*.
* Chicken Little - Returned to the lineup to promote the movie, *Chicken Little*.
* Pikachu - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate Pokemon's 10th Anniversary.

### 2008

* Smurf - Created to promote the movie, *The Smurfs (2011)*, and to help celebrate The Smurfs' 50th Anniversary
* Buzz Lightyear - Created to promote the movie, *Toy Story 3*.
* Kermit the Frog - Returned to the lineup to promote the television special, *A Muppets Christmas: Letters To Santa*.
* Shrek - Returned to the lineup to promote the musical, *Shrek The Musical*
* Beethoven the Dog - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the movie, *Beethoven's Big Break*.
* Horton the Elephant - Created to promote the movie, *Horton Hears a Who!*

### 2014

* SpongeBob SquarePants - Returned to the lineup to promote *The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge Out of Water*.

### 2017

* Olaf - Created to promote the featurette, *Olaf's Frozen Adventure*
* Ice Age's Scrat & His Acorn - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate Ice Age's 15th Anniversary.
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Returned to the lineup to promote the book, *Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Getaway*.
* Power Rangers Mighty Morphin Red Ranger - Returned to the lineup to promote the television series, *Power Rangers Super Ninja Steel*, as well as the franchise's 20th Anniversary.
* Pikachu - Returned to the lineup to promote the video games, *Pokémon Ultra Sun* and *Pokémon Ultra Moon*.
* Trolls - Returned to the lineup to promote the Christmas special, *Trolls Holiday*.
* Angry Birds' Red - Returned to the lineup to promote the announcement of the movie, *The Angry Birds Movie 2*, as well as the webseries, *Angry Birds Blues*.
* SpongeBob SquarePants - Returned to the lineup to promote the Broadway musical, *SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical*
* The Grinch - Created to promote the movie, *The Grinch (2018)*.

### 2018

* Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the book, *Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Meltdown*.
* Toothless the Dragon - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the third and final movie of the franchise, *How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World*.
* Goku - Created to promote the movie, *Dragon Ball Super: Broly*.

### 2019

* Astronaut Snoopy - Created to promote the Apple TV show, *Snoopy in Space*, in addition to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing.
* Goku - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate *Dragon Ball Z*'s 30th anniversary and to promote the video game, *Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot*.
* Pikachu - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the recently-released video games, *Pokémon Sword*and*Pok*é*mon Shield*.
* Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the book, *Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Wrecking Ball*.
* Green Eggs & Ham - Created to promote season one of the animated Netflix series, *Green Eggs & Ham*.
* SpongeBob SquarePants & Gary - Created to promote the franchise's third movie, *SpongeBob SqaurePants: Sponge on the Run*.
* Trolls - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the second movie of the franchise, *Trolls: World Tour*.
* Dr. Seuss' The Grinch - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote the digital, Blu-Ray, and DVD release of *The Grinch* (2018 film).
* Pillsbury Doughboy - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate Pillsbury's 150th anniversary.
* Olaf - Returned to the Parade lineup to promote *Frozen 2*.

## Novelty Balloons

### 2001

**2001-02**:

* November 22, 2001 - Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade: 75th Anniversary - Happy Hippo (Yahoo.com), Toy Soldier (Macy's)

### 2012

* Virginia O'Hanlon - Returned to promote the school musical, “*Yes, Virginia the Musical*”.

### 2013

* Virginia O'Hanlon - Returned to promote the school musical, “*Yes, Virginia the Musical*”.

### 2014

* Virginia O'Hanlon - Returned to promote the school musical, “*Yes, Virginia the Musical*”.

### 2017

* Harold the Baseball Player - Recreated to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 1947 film, "*Miracle on 34th Street*".

## Heritage Balloons

### 2019

* Love Flies Up to Sky - Created to the Parade lineup to help celebrate Yayoi Kusama's 90th anniversary.
* Smokey Bear - Created to help celebrate Smokey Bear's 75th anniversary.
* The Nutcracker - Returned to promote Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's at Universal Studios Florida.

## Balloonicles

### 2004

* Weebles: Tibby, Tooey and Bumpus - Created to the Parade lineup to promote the Weebleville line.

### 2014

* Cloe the Holiday Clown - Created to the Parade lineup to promote the Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando Resort.

### 2016

* Mother Ginger - Created to the Parade lineup to promote the Macy’s Holiday Parade at Universal Orlando Resort.

## Floats

### 1967

* The Tivoli Train - Appeared to promote Legoland in Billund, Denmark.

### 2014

* Frozen Fall Fun - Returned to promote the Discover NHL Thanksgiving Showdown.
* Dora & Friends: Aventuras Fantasticas - Appeared to promote the television series, "*Dora and Friends: Into the City!*".
* 1-2-3 Sesame Street - Returned to help celebrate Sesame Street’s 45th anniversary.
* At the Ball Game - Appeared to promote the Surprise inside Project.
* A World at Sea - Returned to promote the Quantum of the Seas.
* A Sea of Surprises - Returned to help celebrate SeaWorld’s 50th anniversary.
* Bridge to the Future - Returned to help celebrate Hess’ 50th anniversary.
* The Dreamseeker - Returned to help celebrate Cirque du Soleil’s 30th anniversary.
* It’s All Rock & Roll - Returned to help celebrate Gibson’s 120th anniversary.
* Mount Rushmore’s American Pride - Returned to help celebrate Mount Rushmore’s 75th anniversary.
* International CeleBEARation Clock Tower - Returned to promote the movie, “*Annie*”.