• by Adam Buckman , Featured Columnist, 4 hours ago

While watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade on NBC last Thursday, it was possible to be awestruck by the business side of this iconic annual event.

It seemed as if there was a brand-marketing moment about every minute or so -- most notably the sponsored floats, which came on the scene accompanied by promotional copy read with great gusto by NBC parade co-anchors Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb.

For example, the Green Giant “Harvest in the Valley” float (pictured above) was described on the Macys.com Thanksgiving Day Parade landing page as depicting “the harvest of fall delights in a stunning, rolling landscape where the Green Giant ensures the veggies are picked at the peak of perfection.”

Savannah and Hoda recited copy that was very similar. And they did so with each sponsored float that came into view.

In all, there were 28 floats this year, only three of which were unsponsored -- Santa’s Sleigh, Tom Turkey and Jolly Polly Pirate Ship.

This year’s float sponsors included: the “1-2-3 Sesame Street” Sesame Workshop float, Jennie-O turkey products (“Big Turkey Spectacular”), the NBCU streamer Peacock (“Birds of a Feather Stream Together”), Peanuts Worldwide (“Camp Snoopy”), Haribo (“Candy Cosmos”), Kalahari Resorts (“Colossal Wave of Wonder”), Balsam Hill (“Deck the Halls”) and Nickelodeon (“Dora’s Fantastical Rainforest”).

Also on hand: Kinder (“Fantasy Chocolate Factory”), Toys ‘R’ Us (“Geoffrey’s Dazzling Dance Party”), Hallmark Channel (“Heartwarming Holiday Countdown”), Disney Cruise Line (“Magic Meets the Seas”), Brach’s (“Palace of Sweets”), Rao’s (“Pasta Knight”), GoBowling.com (“PINelope”), the Bronx Zoo (“Wondrous World of Wildlife”) and Nickelodeon/Paramount (“World of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles”).

The lineup of float sponsors included seven new ones: Lego (“Brick-tastic Winter Mountain”), Pop Mart (“Friends-Giving in Popcity”), Lindt (“Master Chocolatier Ballroom”), Serta (“The Counting Sheep’s Dream Generator”), Holland America Line (“The Land of Ice and Wonder”), Pepperidge Farm Goldfish (“The Littlest Float”) and Netflix (“Upside Down Invasion: Stranger Things”).

In addition, virtually all of the parade’s famous balloons had name-brand tie-ins ranging from Sponge Bob (Nickelodeon) to the Pillsbury Doughboy.

New to the parade’s lineup of 34 inflatables this year were Buzz Lightyear, Derpy Tiger, Mario from “Super Mario Bros.,” Pac Man and Shrek’s Onion Carriage.

Other brands that were prominent in NBC’s live coverage of the 2025 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade included The North Face, official outerwear provider for parade volunteers and staff (the first time The North Face has been an official partner of the parade), RAM Trucks (official trucks sponsor for its 11th consecutive year) and musical instrument manufacturer Remo Inc., which provided custom drumheads for all of the parade’s 11 marching bands in its role as official drumhead provider.