Thanksgiving is most known for being a popular American holiday, because it's a time to reflect on the many pilgrims who traveled to America in search of a better life. It also symbolizes the start of building new friendships with Native Americans, and celebrating the blessings of being in "the new world." This is a wonderful part of American History, but for others who may not be as attached to American traditions, Thanksgiving is basically what it sounds like- "Give Thanks". While we should do this everyday, it is a perfect opportunity to really sit back and be thankful for what you have. Thanksgiving also brings out a beloved tradition for children and adults alike. Since 1924 this famous parade has made Thanksgiving a delight to celebrate a national holiday and welcome the Christmas season. In 1952, it was broadcasted on television from coast and coast. Today over 3.5 million visitors see it live from New York City and over 50 million viewers watch in live on TV. What am I talking about of course? None other than The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Who is the mastermind behind this fabulous event? The answer would be Amy Kule, Executive Director.
Amy Kule works with a team of creative, promotions, and event planning gurus to bring a classic American tradition alive for a three-hour televised special. The parade consists of Broadway Stars, Celebrities, Marching Bands, Performers, Floats, Organization Representatives, Balloons, and last but not least, Santa Claus. Kule spends much of the year planning and organizing the parade inch by inch to ensure everyone has the best parade experience possible. Originally from Long Island, she started working for Macy's back in 1996 as a East Coast Events Director and made her way up to Executive Director in 2010. She has told the media several times about how much she enjoys planning and celebrating the Thanksgiving Day Parade. In some of the articles I read about her, she even joked about how the parade gets her out of the doing the cooking for the holiday! I guess you can't really blame her for that one.
Something I don't think people really understand is how big of a job it is to put together an event at this magnitude. Let's face it, Macy's likes do everything big and this parade is not only a cherished event, but it's a great Marketing and PR tool as well. The company is giving back to the people for their service, business, and of course to put smiles on so many faces. There is a TON of organization, scheduling, and planning that goes into this. Out of shear curiosity, I visited The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade website just to see what it takes to be a part in the parade- for an example, a Marching Band. They're already taking applications for the 2015 parade. Yeah, 2015, if you had your heart said on participating next year, then sorry to burst your bubble. Every detail must be planned in advanced to ensure the high level of corporate and public expectation is met. Amy Kule and her team of wonders, does a fabulous job in working out every detail and every aspect of this annual show.
One of the reasons, why I selected Amy Kule for this week's Creative Mastermind honor is that she handles just about every aspect of creativity that I like to highlight at The Creative Cabana. Because this is a televised program, you can already imagine the amount of audio and video production that takes place in order to broadcast the parade across America. Crafting and Graphic Design also play a big role when it comes to the designing of the balloons and floats. Many of the represented companies and organizations who participate in the float spend months getting their floats and balloons ready to go. There's a lot of artistic talent in making sure that each float, balloon, and costume design is made to perfection! Amy Kule oversees all of this and her job requires her to make sure that everyone has a great time.
This week's Creative Mastermind, Amy Kule, hits the nail on all aspects of creativity, planning, and marketing! Both her and the team she works with deserve a big round of applause for keeping the Macy's tradition alive for over 80 years! Make sure you tune into the parade this Thursday on NBC at 9am (Eastern). Come see all of the Macy's staff, Marching Bands, Performers, Singers, and everyone else show off their talent at the best Thanksgiving celebration in America. Don't forget if you'd like to recommend a Creative Mastermind, just leave a comment on this post or you can visit The Creative Cabana on Facebook or Twitter to leave your suggestions there! Until later my friends, have a great day!
* Information related to the history of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade comes from Wikipedia's "Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" article. I also establish and give credit to Jenna Goudreau from Forbes for her article, "The Woman Behind The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade" which I used to read about Amy Kule, though no quotes were taken from either of these articles. The pictures used in this post were from Google Images and I credit the photographer and owner of these images to whoever it concerns. I do not own Macy's or NBC. The opinions given are my own and do not necessarily reflect those at NBC, Macy's, or another companies mentionned. No Copyright Infringement Intended.
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