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.

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 Pokémon 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 &amp; 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.

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".

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.

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.

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”.