Published on: 22/11/2022
Macy’s launches metaverse experience to commemorate its 96th Thanksgiving
has launched the Parade Metaverse Experience to celebrate its 96th Thanksgiving. The experience is set in the Web3 virtual world and will allow customers to pick their first NFT Macy’s Parade balloon.
The virtual Parade is a collaboration between Macy’s and the agency Media.Monks and Transparent House. It includes virtual galleries from five NFT projects, namely Boss Beauties, Cool Cats, gmoney, SupDucks and VeeFriends.
The OnCyber metaverse will power the experience, which will be readily accessible to fans and collectors on Thursday, November 24, at 9 a.m. EST.
The virtual Parade at macys.com/NFT will be available via desktop and mobile devices without needing a cryptocurrency wallet, a complicated login or a VR headset.
The iconic Macy’s Parade balloons will fly in the parade. These balloons were designed as collectible NFTs last year to mark the 95th anniversary of the Macy’s Parade. Collectors will be able to mint a virtual gallery pass to obtain an OnCyber NFT gallery space, which will be airdropped on December 5. All proceeds from the event will go to a nonprofit organization, Big Brothers Big Sisters of America (BBBSA).
“As we countdown to the 96th Macy’s Parade, we are excited to bring this spectacle once again to the web3 virtual landscape with a fun experience that empowers our fans, collectors, and our highly engaged Discord community,” Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade executive producer Will Coss said.
Coss added that following the success of their first Parade NFT collection last year, they wanted to allow the community to choose a native NFT design. It will then be converted into a real-world Macy’s Parade balloon to raise funds for BBBSA.
Macy’s to giveaway NFTs to 100,000 fans
The celebration will allow fans to vote for their selected creators from Thursday, November 24, 9 a.m. EST to Sunday, December 4, 11:59 p.m. EST. The winner’s designs will be transformed into real-life balloons for the 97th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade next year.
In addition, Macy’s will give a free digital collectible to the very first 100,000 fans to vote. Fans do not need to purchase or claim an NFT collectible to vote. Official voting rules will be accessible on macys.com/NFT beginning November 24.
During the voting process, NFT collectors who choose to mint and holders of Macy’s 2021 Parade NFTs will be given additional voting power based on the rarity of their collectibles. NFT holders from Boss Beauties, Cool Cats, gmoney, SupDucks and VeeFriends will get extra voting power.
This Parade isn’t the first time the retailer used NFTs to commemorate an occasion. Macy’s recently incorporated an NFT component into its Fourth of July celebration this year to recognize the growing pervasiveness of Web3.
Macy’s distributed 10,000 Macy’s Fireworks NFTs in three tiers for free. Each of them highlights elements from the annual fireworks extravaganza and allows access to augmented reality (AR) wearable technology that can be used on select social media and video platforms.
The NFTs were created on the Polygon blockchain and are open to those who register through Macy’s new Discord server.
Macy’s has been holding its holiday parade since 1924. The 96th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will be broadcast live from New York City on NBC on Thursday, November 24, from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. It will also be available to watch online on Peacock.
