NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The holidays are a time for giving, and Macy’s is again offering its customers a chance to unite in the season’s spirit of generosity through its annual Believe campaign benefiting Make-A-Wish. Beginning tomorrow, kids of all ages can drop their stamped letters, addressed to Santa at The North Pole, in the Santa Mail letterbox at their local Macy’s. For each letter received through Dec. 24, Macy’s will donate $1 to Make-A-Wish, up to $1 million, to help grant the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Now celebrating its sixth season, Believe has become Macy’s signature holiday program, garnering support and participation from customers from coast-to-coast and resulting in more than $6.5 million in donations to Make-A-Wish. New this season, customers who share a photo or video of their moment mailing a letter to Santa at Macy’s Believe Station to Instagram, Twitter or Vine using #MacysBelieve will be considered for the opportunity to be in a Macy’s television commercial airing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. In addition, “Believers” can join in the spirit of the holidays through other Believe elements, including a school musical program, a nationally televised animated special, activity guides for teachers and the return of the fifth annual National Believe Day.
“Macy’s Believe campaign, benefiting Make-A-Wish, has surpassed our expectations ever since we introduced the program six years ago,” said Martine Reardon, chief marketing officer for Macy’s. “Year after year, we are astounded by the outpouring of support our customers show for this campaign as our Santa Mail letterboxes overflow with letters. Families, schools and community organizations rally to write letters, bringing the campaign’s message of giving to life.”
The inspiration for Macy’s Believe campaign was the heartwarming true story of 8-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who wrote a letter to the New York Sun newspaper in 1897 asking if there really was a Santa Claus. The paper’s editor, Francis P. Church, responded with what has become the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language stating, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist …” More than 115 years after that famous essay was penned, Church’s words still resonate and remind us all to believe in the power of childhood wonder, hope and generosity – cornerstones of the Believe campaign.
“Embracing their imagination is what allows our wish kids to think big; to think about the future as they fight their illness,” said David Williams, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish America. “Macy’s Believe campaign captures that sentiment perfectly and we are so proud to work with such a caring, passionate, and generous company.”
Key elements from the 2013 Macy’s Believe campaign will include:
#MacysBelieve Television Commercial
Now through Dec. 7,
Macy’s is inviting all “Believers” to share a photo or video of the
special moment they mail their letter in Macy’s Santa Mail letterbox
in-store via Instagram, Twitter or Vine. By including #MacysBelieve,
posts will be considered for inclusion in a national, crowd-sourced
television commercial airing Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. The
selected elements will be edited into a video montage that will feature
magical moments from customers across the country.
“Yes, Virginia The Musical”
“Yes, Virginia The Musical” will
return to stages this holiday season with more than 100 performances
taking place across the country. Audiences will be taken on an adventure
as Virginia and her friends set out to prove Santa really does exist. In
support of arts and music education, Macy’s created a digital toolkit
with helpful reference material, provided the script and score
royalty-free and offered $1,000 grants to 100 schools to support their
productions. “Yes, Virginia The Musical” debuted last year and was
warmly embraced by communities nationwide, with many participating
schools giving back by encouraging their audiences to participate in the
Believe letter-writing campaign. Grant recipient schools put their funds
to use to purchase everything from costumes and set materials to sound
and lighting equipment. For more information about “Yes, Virginia The
Musical,” please visit yesvirginiamusical.com.
National Believe Day
Friday, Dec. 6 will mark the fifth
anniversary of National Believe Day, a highpoint of the Believe
campaign. On this exciting day, Macy’s will call all “Believers” to
action in celebration of the holiday season’s message of generosity and
goodwill. Additional details about National Believe Day will be released
as the day approaches.
“Yes, Virginia” Animated Special
The award-winning “Yes,
Virginia” animated holiday television special will return this year
featuring an all-star cast of voices that includes Neil Patrick Harris,
Jennifer Love Hewitt, Alfred Molina, and Beatrice Miller in the title
role. The half-hour holiday program, which debuted in 2009, helped a
special wish come true for then 11-year-old Make-A-Wish recipient Taylor
Hay, whose voice and likeness were captured for one of the characters.
“Yes, Virginia,” presented by Macy’s, will air on CBS on National Believe Day, Friday, Dec. 6, at 8:30 p.m. ET (check local listings).
The Hispanic adaptation of the program entitled “Si, Virginia. Un Cuento Navideño” will also feature an all-star cast with some of the most beloved entertainers in Hispanic America, including Don Francisco, Giselle Blondet, Blanca Soto, Ernesto LaGuardia and Gaby Borges in the title role. “Si, Virginia. Un Cuento Navideño” will air on Univision on Saturday, Dec. 21 at 7 p.m. ET.
“Yes, Virginia in Concert”
This holiday season, “Yes,
Virginia in Concert” will receive its world premiere on Dec. 14, 2013,
in a performance by the Cincinnati Symphony and Pops Orchestra. Written
by Emmy Award-winning songwriters Wesley Whatley and William
Schermerhorn, the family-friendly performance is presented by Macy’s and
will feature John Morris Russell conducting the Pops along with singers
and actors in a semi-staged adaptation of the heartwarming story.
“Believe” and “Yes, Virginia” Merchandise
Customers who
would like to take the magic of Virginia home while giving back can
purchase the “Yes, Virginia” illustrated storybook, which includes a QR
code that allows readers to access special content including a trailer
of the television special. The animated special is also available on DVD
exclusively in select Macy’s stores and on macys.com, and includes a
Spanish audio option. Ten percent of the purchase price of each book and
DVD sold at Macy’s will be donated to Make-A-Wish to help grant the
wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions. Believe and
“Yes, Virginia” holiday trimmings, which include a Virginia plush doll,
ornaments and stockings, also are available at select stores and online.
Believe Sitelet and Activity Guide
Macy’s invites you to
visit macys.com/believe for even more information about this year’s
Believe campaign. There you can see a countdown to National Believe Day,
search for events in your area, find a local Santa Mail letterbox, and
even design a letter you can print and bring to your local Macy’s.
Educators can also download the Believe Activity Guide; a toolkit
available in English or Spanish for those who would like to use Believe
as a writing lesson or activity during the holiday season.
Believe and Virginia Take Flight
Millions of Macy’s
Thanksgiving Day Parade® viewers will ring in the holiday
this year with their favorite Macy’s star as the Virginia giant balloon
returns to the lineup along with the larger than life “Believe” red star
balloons. Also joining the route will be the Macy's Great American
Marching Band, comprised of the top high school music students from
every state in the union, playing a "Believe Fanfare."
For Macy’s Believe campaign media materials, including images, please visit: http://mustacheagency.com/MNR/MacysHoliday2013/en/believe.html.
“Yes, Virginia” was created and produced by Macy’s and JWT in conjunction with The Ebeling Group and MEC Entertainment, a division of Mediaedge:cia. “Yes, Virginia The Musical” was adapted from the animated special and storybook by Chris Plehal, by Wesley Whatley (music) and William Schermerhorn (book and lyrics), the Emmy® Award-winning team that created the original song “Yes, Virginia (There is a Santa Claus).”
About Macy’s
Macy’s, the largest retail brand of Macy’s,
Inc. (NYSE:M), delivers fashion and affordable luxury to customers at
approximately 800 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia,
Puerto Rico and Guam, as well as to customers in the U.S. and more than
100 international destinations through its leading online store at
macys.com. Via its stores, e-commerce site, mobile and social platforms,
Macy’s offers distinctive assortments including the most desired family
of exclusive and fashion brands for him, her and home. Macy’s is known
for such epic events as Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks® and the
Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®, as well as spectacular
fashion shows, culinary events, flower shows and celebrity appearances.
Macy’s flagship stores -- including Herald Square in New York City,
Union Square in San Francisco, State Street in Chicago, Dadeland in
Miami and South Coast Plaza in southern California -- are known
internationally and leading destinations for visitors. Building on a
more than 150-year tradition, and with the collective support of
customers, employees and Macy’s Foundation, Macy’s helps strengthen
communities by supporting local and national charities giving more than
$70 million each year to help make a difference in the lives of our
customers.
For Macy’s media materials, including images and contacts, please visit our online pressroom at macys.com/pressroom.
About Make-A-Wish
Make-A-Wish® grants the wishes
of children with life-threatening medical conditions to enrich the human
experience with hope, strength and joy. According to a 2011 U.S. study
of wish impact, most health professionals surveyed believe a
wish-come-true can have positive impacts on the health of children. Kids
say wishes give them renewed strength to fight their illnesses, and
their parents say these experiences help strengthen the entire family.
Based in Phoenix, Make-A-Wish is one of the world’s leading children’s
charities, serving children in every community in the United States and
its territories. With the help of generous donors and more than 25,000
volunteers, Make-A-Wish grants a wish somewhere in the country every 38
minutes. It has granted more than 226,000 wishes since its inception in
1980; nearly 14,000 in 2012 alone. Visit Make-A-Wish at wish.org to
learn more.
