Fun Fact: Macy's was not the first department store to have a Thanksgiving Day Parade.
⬇ Let's talk about the rise and fall of the Gimbel's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
In 1920, Gimbels, a Philadelphia department store, created a Thanksgiving Day Parade to promote their new 'Toyland' exhibit.
They used it as a way to decree the beginning of the holiday shopping season.
By 1939, the Gimbels' Thanksgiving Day Parade had half a million attendees.
In the 1940s, the parade adapted to be very patriotic due to WWII.
The Parade continued to evolve in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, bringing along iconic balloons Mickey Mouse, Fred Flintstone, and Popeye.
In the 1970s, it became clear that Gimbels, the store, could not keep up physically.
In 1973, the store had fallen far from the top and was acquired by British-American Tobacco.
In 1986, BAT determined that, after acquiring several other retail companies including Kohls, there was "little potential for increased profitability" and shut down the store.
The Gimbels Parade transferred ownership to the local news network in Philadelphia.
The parade still exists, but it's now the "6ABC Dunkin’ Thanksgiving Day Parade".
Not quite the same ring to it.
Macy's has gone on to be the most successful department store parade in history.
We can take the following lessons from this experience:
🦃 Great marketing doesn't guarantee great product
🦃 You don't need to be first to be the best
🦃 Be iconic
Happy Thanksgiving!
What’s your favorite parade memory? What floats are you looking forward to seeing today?
#macysparade #marketing #creativity
