Throughout the years, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has housed nearly 200 different balloons of famous cartoon characters, alongside over 300 different floats. A large majority of these balloons and floats 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 and floats 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.
1966[]
- Smokey Bear - Created to promote the television special, The Ballad of Smokey Bear.
1967[]
- Donald Duck - Returned to the lineup to pay tribute to Walt Disney.
1969[]
- Smokey Bear - Returned to the lineup to promote the television series, The Smokey Bear Show.
- Bullwinkle - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show's 10th anniversary.
- Linus the Lionhearted - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate his 10th Birthday.
- Astronaut Snoopy - Created to promote the movie, A Boy Named Charlie Brown.
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.
- Mickey Mouse - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate Walt Disney Productions' 50th Anniversary.
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[]
- Kermit the Frog - Returned to the lineup to promote the movie, The Muppet Movie.
- Linus the Lionhearted - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate his 20th Birthday.
- Bullwinkle - Returned to the Parade lineup to help celebrate The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show's 20th anniversary.
- Aviator Snoopy - Returned to the lineup to promote Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown! (and Don't Come Back!).
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.
- Superman - Created to promote the movie, Superman II.
1982[]
- Superman - Returned to the lineup to promote the movie, Superman III.
- Goofy - Created to help celebrate his 50th Birthday.
- Bugs Bunny - Returned to the lineup to promote the movie, Bugs Bunny's 3rd Movie: 1001 Rabbit Tales.
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".
1986[]
- Kermit the Frog - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate The Muppets' 30th Birthday.
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.
1992[]
- Santa Goofy - Created to help celebrate his 60th Birthday.
- The Pink Panther - Returned to the lineup to promote the movie, Son of the Pink Panther.
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[]
- The Cat in the Hat - Created to promote the television special, In Search of Dr. Seuss.
- 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.
- Rugrats - Returned to the lineup to celebrate Rugrats' 10th anniversary.
2003[]
- Pikachu - Returned to the lineup to promote Pokémon: Advanced.
- Clifford the Big Red Dog - Returned to the lineup to promote the TV show Clifford's Puppy Days and the movie, Clifford's Really Big Movie.
- Wild Thing - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate Where the Wild Things Are's 40th Birthday.
- Garfield - Created to promote the movie, Garfield: The Movie.
2004[]
- Chicken Little - Created to promote the movie, Chicken Little.
- SpongeBob SquarePants - Created to promote the movie The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie.
- Garfield - Returned to the lineup to promote Garfield: The Movie's DVD and VHS releases.
- Clifford the Big Red Dog - Returned to the lineup to promote Clifford's Really Big Movie's DVD and VHS releases.
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.
2006[]
- Scooby-Doo - Returned to the lineup to promote the CW show Shaggy & Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!
- Pikachu - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate Pokemon's 10th Anniversary.
- Garfield - Returned to the lineup to promote the movie, Garfield: A Tale of Two Kitties.
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.
2016[]
- Charlie Brown - Created to help celebrate You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown's 50th Anniversary.
- Thomas the Tank Engine - Returned to the lineup to promote Thomas and Friends: The Great Race.
- Paddington Bear - Returned to the lineup to help celebrate the announcement of Paddington 2.
- Red Mighty Morphin Power Ranger - Returned to the lineup to promote the TV Series Power Rangers: Ninja Steel.
- Pikachu - Returned to the lineup to promote the video games, Pokémon Sun and Pokémon Moon.
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 & 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.