Through the Years: Pikachu & the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

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Today marks Pikachu’s 17th consecutive appearance in the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade! And although seventeen isn’t an especially exciting or important number, I thought we could take a look back at the parade and Pikachu’s multiple appearances! also because #newsdrought

The Parade: A Brief History

The roarin’ twenties were a rather glamorous time in America’s history: flappers were a plenty, speakeasies were open for business, and Macy’s was beginning to become the house hold name it is today with all time high profits. It was 1924 when Macy’s president Herbert Straus realized how big the department store had become, and how it deserved an even larger event to celebrate it. You see, at this point, Macy’s had officially taken over an entire New York City block becoming the biggest store in the world, so Straus’ promise of a “holiday event like nothing the city had seen before” didn’t seem that Farfetch’d. Planned and executed only two weeks before the holiday, the first ever Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade was born! Over the years the parade has evolved and undergone several changes: TV gained interest, broadcasting the annual celebration to millions every year, and massive character balloons slowly became the focus. Watch it or not, you can’t deny the parade has become an American institution and tradition; and reaching close to it’s 100th anniversary, it doesn’t look like it’ll be stopping anytime soon. Fast forward to 2001, and we see Pikachu’s first appearance in the parade…

Flying Pikachu, 2001-2005

Fresh off the “Pokémania” craze of thd late 90’s and early 2000’s, Pikachu made it’s debut at Macy’s 75th Annual Thanksgiving Day Parade! Preceded by a Pokémon themed Volkswagen Beetle, the balloon’s design had the TV audience more in mind with it’s belly down and friendly face shooting straight to the city’s horizon. In the balloon’s first year, due to Pokémon’s crazy popularity, Pikachu had the honor of having a walk-around style mascot costume appearance on the 75th Parade SuperStars float – one usually reserved to showcase characters and properties from retired balloons of parade’s past. The Pokémon themed VW Bug was moved to follow the Flying Pikachu balloon from 2002-2004 until it’s sudden disappearance in 2005 to make room for…

Pikachu & the Pokéball, 2006-2013

Come 2006 a new design of the Pikachu balloon was unveiled! This new balloon featured a more spectator-friendly design (with it facing slightly downwards in a more bipedal position) with light-up cheeks, and an additional Pokéball balloon. Although the Pokéball almost always came before Pikachu, this era had the most “variations” among the three: To celebrate 10 consecutive years in the parade and the upcoming release of Pokémon Black & White in 2010, floats carrying larger-than-life size statues of game mascots Zekrom and Reshiram guided the main balloons along the parade route. And although it’s more of a mistake, Pikachu’s ears weren’t inflated properly in 2012, causing it’s ears to be deflated for most of the parade.

Holiday Pikachu, 2014-Present

Inspired by the facelift Generation VI gave to the main series games, the balloon got another re-design in 2014 bringing Pikachu to its current iteration. This new balloon features a much more cartoon-y style, and is explicitly holiday with its scarf and little Pikachu snowman in hand. With 17 consecutive parades under its belt Pikachu rounds out the the top 5 most appearances by a single balloon character in the last 40 years of the parade – only behind much older brand and character juggernauts like Ronald McDonald (McDonalds), Snoopy (Peanuts), Big Bird (Sesame Street), and Spider-Man (Marvel).

As time has gone on I’m admittedly less and less interested in the parade; What started as me watching godzilla-size versions of all my favorite characters fly by on TV as my parents prepared a turkey turned into the parade passively being on in the background as I checked social media on my phone. Nowadays I tend to just specifically look up the Pikachu balloon up every year to keep my nostalgia in check. Either way, I see our favorite yellow mascot being a parade regular for the past two decades (and the changes it’s undergone) as a testament of Pokémon’s permanent stamp on the past, it’s current influence, and it’s continued evolution as a brand that will forever withstand the test of time.

Anybody else have memories of watching the parade? Which iteration of the balloon is your favorite?

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710 thoughts on “Through the Years: Pikachu & the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade”

  1. I’ve been watching the anime, and I know Lillie’s whole arc is set before the events in the game where she runs away, and nebby hasn’t yet been captured by the Aether Foundation (Till where I’ve watched), and Lusamine isn’t a complete bitch and there are small modifications to the plotline, and additions, most importantly Lillie’s encounter with the UB. My questions are: a) Why has gladion left, since none of the events that caused him to run away with Type: Null have happened and in fact Lusamine doesn’t even know about Null and b) How did Lusamine not know about what happened to Lillie??

    Reply

  3. If anyone cares, the dub of Pokemon I choose you is playing on DisneyHD today

    Also apparently they’re airing the dub of the Kanto episode

    Reply

  4. So I guess today I’ll finally spend some time hunting the Tapus today
    I also need three Cosmog (I like to have complete sets)
    And I seem to have misplaced my Magearna
    Unless it’s in bank

    Just focusing on legends today

    Reply

  6. Alright I’m having a conundrum
    Me being a collector of sorts, I like to have complete sets of things
    Ergo I’m assembling my legends box and I realized I need 3 more Deoxys one for each form… Which means I have to either pay those morons on GTS a visit and see what ridiculous things I gotta shell out for 3 more or the harder more convoluted option, replay Alpha Sapphire to completion AND do the delta episode THREE TIMES…..

    Also if anyone has a spare ice stone it would be a big help

    Reply

  7. If I trade Cosmoem from Pokémon Ultra Sun to Pokémon Moon and then evolve it, will it evolve into Lunala or Sogaleo? What I mean to say is, is Cosmoem’s evolution based on the game it’s from or the game it’s in?

    Reply

  9. WoooooHoooooooo!!!!!!!
    Ding Dong Totem Araquanid falls! I sent in Dusty to get a Rock Throw in lowering its health to almost yellow as it faints Dusty, I switched to Lola and did a Return attack as it and Dewpider both Bubbled, then to finish it I Breakneck Blizted it and took it down and out! Now Minty I’m going to make a star I will switch and Ice Shard the ally out!

    Reply

  13. I tried SRing for a shiny Poipole last night… idk how far I got but it’s harder than it looks so I stuck (lol adhesive) with the original color

    Reply

  17. I find it really funny how Diancite is given as an event item, and yet there’s no new Diancie event. I got a Diancie from this Japanese guy if anyone was wondering, but seriously-is there not going to be a new Diancie event? Hoopa had it. Volcanion had it. Why not Diancie?

    Reply

    • Diancie had an event. It was a real long time ago, but I still have mine (two if we’re being accurate)

      Only Mythicals I don’t have are:
      Keldeo
      Genesect
      and Volcanion

      And technically Marshadow because I haven’t redeemed it just yet

      Reply

      • I know there was a Diancie event, I meant a 2nd one, because at this point, I think there’s no more than 50% of the US/UM players who have a Diancie.

        Reply

  19. Well want to update my team with y’all

    Furball the Torracat lvl.23
    Lola the Lopunny lvl.23
    Dusty the Rockruff lvl.21
    Minty the Seel lvl.20

    Trials beaten: 2
    Grand Trials beaten: 1

    By tonight I plan to add:
    Luna the Morelull

    Though after Luna, I am torn between so many 6th slots
    Crobat, Forretress, Goodra, Noctowl, Passimian, Gengar, A. Dugtrio, Mudsdale, Garbodor, Skarmory, Beheyem, Metagross, Electavire, Manectric, Flygon, Claydol, Espeon, Pinsir, Pallosand, or Xatu
    (These are the Pokémon I found that don’t overlap on Akala and Ula’Ula)

    Reply

  21. So I need to decide Premier ball Sandshrew or Heavy Ball

    The sooner I start my moon journey the sooner I can start filling the blanks for my legends list

    Reply

  22. Bored need ideas
    One Fakemon I wanted to tinker is a normal standalone Pokemon based on a stem cell (and it is not supposed to be a Ditto knock off)

    Amorphix
    The Cellular Pkm
    Normal
    Protean
    It is simply a translucent magenta sphere with four teardrop shaped appendages which function as either four legs or two legs and arms and with a single thin eyestalk on top with a black bead enveloped at the tip

    It observes other Pokemon’s movements and abilities and attempts to mimic them but it cannot preform them exactly

    HP: 70
    Atk: 70
    Def: 70
    SpAtk: 80
    SpDef: 80
    Speed: 50

    Endure
    Pound
    Mimic
    Minimize
    Psywave
    Camouflage
    Hidden Power
    Reflect
    Light Screen
    Copycat
    Subsitute
    Psych Up
    Acid Armor
    Recover
    After You
    Tri Attack
    Wring Out

    And they learn a plethora of TMs and tutors

    Reply

  24. Well that was mortifying! I just got the shiny charm and I ended up getting a shiny Altaria, right? BUT IT USED PERISH SONG. I was freaking out until the last minute, a critical capture happend. It would’ve fainted the NEXT TURN. Who was evil enough to give these pokemon self-destruct moves? I’M SO MAD. I almost lost the shiny!

    Reply

    • I mean it happens. Best thing to do is to go in prepared for that scenario (for perish song, for example, bring skill swap + soundproof), because you can’t control it.
      Also, all pokemon have a “self-destruct move” — struggle. I’ve lost a shiny regirock to it before.

      Reply

      • True, but usually I’m able to catch it before it self-destructs. If I would’ve known it had Perish song, I would’ve brought my Kommo-o or something. This was just cruel. The worst part is that it’s my fault too because I messed around for a bit throwing apricorn balls at it for fun.

        Reply

    • Same here, I was going to catch a shiny Abomasnow, but then it used Wood Hammer and gave itself damage and died….:( Luckily some 5-10 minutes later I found a shiny Crustle and that helped ease the pain a bit!

      Reply

    • So I should carry a Taunt user and maybe something with Damp, though Idk if there are self-destructors, good to know. Well done catching it at the last moment btw.

      Reply

  25. To anyone using the Wormhole technique to find shinies, which Pokemon do you have the most shinies of? For me, it’s Barbaracle, with a whopping 5 shinies.

    Reply

    • I’ve only got one of each so far. I suppose I’m doing well for just getting the charm, today.
      I don’t have all of them yet, but I got a Sigilyph, Drapion, Altaria, Stunfisk( pfft), and Quagsire.

      Reply

    • Wow..

      That’s a lot. But, how many shinies you’ve gotten in total? Like I heard finding shinies in the game was easy but not THAT easy lol

      Reply

      • Let me say some:
        -5 Barbaracles
        -3 Medichams
        -2 Nuzleafs
        -2 Swans
        -2 Heliotrisks
        -1 Floatzel
        -1 Sigilyph
        -1Crustle
        -1 Drapion
        -1 Ground-Electric fish

        Reply

        • 19 and that’s only some lol

          But enjoy this feature as much as possible because I doubt gen 8 will have such an easy way to obtain shinies 😛

          Reply

          • Thanks and yeah, at least we have to wait at least 2 years. Honestly I think we need a 1-2 year gap, as so we don’t have to worry about shiny hunting! And I think I might have a few more but forgot 😛

      • It’s piss easy in this game. If you have the shiny charm, it’s even easier. Double Ring Wormholes are the Key. They almost gaurentee and shiny if your’e willing to soft reset a few times(like I did).

        Reply

          • We don’t know the odds yet from what I read, but surprisingly the most shinies I got were from single rings and 1 double ring. Guess I’m just lucky.

          • True, but if you do encounter a Pokemon you want and you’re in a double or single Wormhole, I honestly reccomend soft-reseting at least 3 times before you leave (AND ALSO SAVE BEFORE THE ENCOUNTER. PLEASE. YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHAT YOU WILL GET. TRUST ME.). At least the best part is that if you get a shiny in the wormhole it will remain shiny. I tested it out.

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