Macy’s Parade: Reimagining an American Icon

Making joy exquisite.

The arrival of a new executive producer created a rare opportunity: the chance to reimagine the Parade again, this time with a leader and creative partner I deeply believed in. I led the pitch for its first full rebrand, found and selected Mattson Creative, and directed the nearly yearlong process from strategy and brief through creative development, contracting, approvals, and company-wide execution.

The challenge was to hold two truths at once. The Parade is exuberant, funny, surprising, and for everyone—but it is also one of America’s most prestigious cultural institutions. We needed a system that could capture all of that joy while finally making the brand feel as elevated as the event itself, building confidence among major partners, including NBC, at a time when broadcast support was not guaranteed.

The resulting identity included a new logo, typography, wordmarks, colors, illustrations, and more than 150 unique pieces of original art. It was intentionally rich and lived-in, filled with craft, history, and small Easter eggs that rewarded a closer look. I designed the world to extend across years, platforms, products, and partnerships—and to lead naturally into Holiday Celebrations as its purposeful sister campaign.

The debut reached nearly 30 million television viewers and coincided with the highest product sales and digital engagement in the Parade’s history. More personally, it became a highlight of my career: a relationship built on trust, a creative world built with extraordinary care, and an American icon presented with a new level of beauty, richness, and confidence.