17083: Macy’s To Carve Up Thanksgiving Turkey—White Meat, Please.

 

Advertising Age reported Macy’s launched an account review intended to capitalize on its iconic Thanksgiving Day Parade.

 

Expect a parade of White advertising agencies presenting turkey concepts.

 

Macy’s seeks creative agency ahead of 100th Thanksgiving Parade

 

By Ewan Larkin

 

Macy’s has launched a creative agency review designed to capitalize on the 100th edition of its marquee Thanksgiving Day Parade next year, according to multiple people familiar with the matter.

 

The review, which is being managed internally, is said to be focused on finding a creative partner to help the retail giant turn the centennial celebration—set for November 2026—into a yearlong brand-building effort.

 

The parade, known for balloons, floats, marching bands and celebrities, remains one of the few events that still attract a large audience on broadcast TV. Last year’s spectacle, hosted by NBC and its streaming service Peacock, reached a record 31.3 million viewers, giving participating brands exposure that is increasingly hard to come by.

 

Along with the parade’s centennial, Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2026.

 

It was not immediately clear if the selected agency would continue working with the brand past 2026. Macy’s did not return multiple requests for comment on the review, which is said to have begun recently.

 

Sharon Otterman, who left Caesars Entertainment to become Macy’s chief marketing officer at the end of 2023, is overseeing the pitch. Last June, Otterman enlisted Minneapolis-based agency Mono to develop a campaign called “Summer’s Greatest Hits,” which celebrated the season’s unpredictable moments.

 

Mono could not be immediately reached for comment on the review.

 

Macy’s had previously worked with Omnicom Group’s BBDO for several years. Otterman said at the time that Macy’s does not have any “official commitment” from agencies, including BBDO, and that it works with several partners.

 

Publicis Groupe’s Spark Foundry continues to serve as Macy’s media agency of record.

 

The retailer’s U.S. measured media spending totaled $697 million in 2024, about the same as 2023, per MediaRadar.

 

Like all retailers, Macy’s is expected to be heavily impacted by the effects of tariffs, as it receives many goods from China in particular. In March, executives emphasized that Macy’s was looking toward “marketing moments” such as Father’s Day and Fourth of July.

 

Macy’s Inc., which includes Bloomingdale’s and Bluemercury, reported today that its fiscal first-quarter net sales declined 5.1% to $4.6 billion. The company also lowered its outlook due to the impact of tariffs, which are affecting both product pricing and shopper spending. Macy’s has renegotiated some supplier orders and is planning to be selective regarding where it will raise prices, executives said earlier today.

 

On a conference call with analysts this morning, CEO Tony Spring said that, “as of today, we have a good handle on the tariff-related costs, but we’re cognizant that the environment is fluid, the impact on demand is less clear.”

 

Contributing: Adrianne Pasquarelli

16866: Happy Thanksgiving.

 

(AI-generated jive turkey)

16449: Delayed WTF 56—Thanksgiving Cartoon Classic Cultural Cluelessness…?

 

MultiCultClassics is often occupied with real work. As a result, a handful of events occur without the expected blog commentary. This limited series—Delayed WTF—seeks to make belated amends for the absence of malice.

 

Completely missed the controversy sparked in 2018, reported by many sources including the New York Post, over perceived disrespect for Franklin in “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving”—where critics noted the sole Black character was relegated to a lesser seat at the dinner table. Given the menu items served at the cartoon celebration, it’s a wonder no one made references to the infamous Texaco “Black Jelly Bean” scandal. Hey, it’s all reflective of performative DEI initiatives in Adland. Expect Franklin to be named the Peanuts Chief Diversity Officer.

 

Critics blast ‘A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving’ as racist

 

By Natalie O'Neill

 

You’re a racist man, Charlie Brown!

 

Critics are slamming ABC’s “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” for seating its only black character, Franklin, alone on one side of the holiday table — in a rickety old lawn chair.

 

Meanwhile, white friends — including Peppermint Patty, Charlie Brown, Sally and even Snoopy — were all seated across from him in real chairs as they feasted, Twitter users pointed out.

 

The special, which debuted Nov. 20, 1973, aired again on Wednesday — prompting social media outrage over the gang’s highly unwoke picnic table arrangement.

 

“Why is Franklin in Charlie Brown Thanksgiving sitting all by himself at the table. Man. Things that I did not notice as a child,” @Asharp52 blasted on Twitter.

 

Others said good grief over a seating chart that would have thrilled George Wallace.

 

“Not watching Charlie Brown Thanksgiving anymore, until they sit some people on the same side of the table as Franklin,” another critic tweeted, along with two black power-style fist emojis.

 

The scene in question centers on an impromptu holiday feast — of toast, jelly beans and ice cream — in Charlie Brown’s backyard.

 

At one point, poor lonesome Franklin topples over in his half-broken chair.

 

“They give our friend the busted chair and won’t even sit on the same side of the table, more proof that Charlie Brown and his cohorts are RACIST,” slammed Twitter user @mwizzy128.

 

But others defended the classic special, pointing out its creator Charles Schulz fought to add Franklin to the cast to stand up against racism in 1968.

 

“Seriously please get some historical context. Charles M. Schultz was a trailblazer and bucked racism in those days by adding Franklin to reflect the issue… and challenging what was then going on in society,” tweeted California radio show host Mark Larson.

16448: Thanksgiving In Adland—Thanks, But No Thanks.

 

Adweek published content titled, “What Agency Leaders Are Grateful For This Thanksgiving.”

 

A handful of the “leaders”—featuring at least one Human Heat Shield—gave thanks for DEI-related possibilities in Adland. Appropriately enough, such comments comprised the minority of gratitude expressions in the Adweek fluff piece.

 

The majority of respondents are likely thankful to delegate diversity to resident employees of color. Or count the promotion of White women as satisfying DEI goals.

 

Fairly certain there were no Native American leaders represented. Maybe tomorrow.

 

On a side note, the story was illustrated with a stock image (depicted above) showing multilingual thank you phrases. The languages include Russian—ie, a statement from the country that White advertising agencies and holding companies thanklessly dumped in recent years.

16438: An Exclusive Gathering Of Friends And Critters.

 

Green Giant is staging a stunt—Friendsgiving—in partnership with No Kid Hungry. The event includes organizing a gathering of friends, as demonstrated via the images depicted here.

 

Not invited to Green Giant’s patronizing party: Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus. Gee, that’s not very friendly. 

 

16040: Happy Anti-Racist Thanksgiving.

The New York State Coalition Against Domestic Violence presents Decolonizing Thanksgiving: A Toolkit for Combatting Racism in Schools—a bountiful harvest of anti-racist resources.

16039: Happy Thanksgiving.

 

16018: At Golden Corral, Blandness Is A Holiday Tradition.

 

This Golden Corral holiday commercial is a turkey.

 

 

15617: Happy Thanksgiving.

 

15217: Thanksgiving Snacks And Snubs.

Advertising Age reported on a Thanksgiving gimmick from Popeyes and Uber Eats—a “Churkey” meal featuring chicken and fixings in a turkey-shaped container. Oddly enough, the deal is not available on Thanksgiving, as Popeyes is closed on the holiday. Further confusing is how the “Churkey” conflicts with the annual Popeyes promotion for pre-ordered Cajun turkey. Of course, neither offering is being cooked by Annie the Chicken Queen—who is likely spending Thanksgiving with Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben and other “retired” advertising icons.

A ‘Churkey’ is Uber Eats And Popeyes’ Answer To Those Who Prefer Chicken For Thanksgiving.

 

Brands team up to create a special meal for those with a hankering for a different kind of bird (and a lot less work)

 

By Ann-Christine Diaz

 

Why spend hours roasting a turkey when in a matter of minutes you can have—Churkey? Uber Eats has teamed up with Popeyes to offer diners an alternative to your typical time-consuming bird. In a digital and in-app promotion, the brands are promoting the new “Churkey” meal, which consists of an eight-peace family meal, one large side and four biscuits, for about $19.99.

 

To drive home the point that the offering is the perfect seasonal stand-in for Thanksgiving fowl, Uber Eats and Popeyes’ digital ads depict the meal in a turkey-shaped container, which opens to reveal the various pieces of fried chicken goodness. That said, the Churkey meal doesn’t actually come in a turkey and isn’t even available on Thanksgiving (Popeyes restaurants will be closed that day). But the brands suggest it will make a suitable “Friendsgiving” meal.

 

The effort was conceived with Special Group, the agency behind Uber Eats’ recent “Tonight I’ll Be Eating” campaign depicting unexpected duos like Mark Hamill and Sir Patrick Stewart as well as Simone Biles and Jonathan Van Ness. The agency conceived the ads, which feature witty lines like Turkey is great when it's’ chicken” and “Turkey never tasted so chicken.”

14837: Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese Gives Thanks—And Thoughtlessness.

Adweek spotlighted a Philadelphia Brand Cream Cheese campaign uncovering a Thanksgiving conspiracy theory. Really? What culturally clueless cretin concocted this crap? Making light of an event that featured plenty of actual conspiracies and inhuman atrocities is pathetic, pilgrim.

Philadelphia Cream Cheese Is Boosting a Thanksgiving Conspiracy Theory

Agency Gut digs into a cheesecake cover-up

By David Griner

Ask most Americans to picture the first Thanksgiving, and you’re bound to get a heaping helping of anachronisms, driven by four centuries of imaginative depictions of the Pilgrims’ harvest celebration with the Wampanoag tribe.

There certainly wasn’t any bread stuffing or cranberry sauce, and while it’s likely they ate wild turkey, ducks and geese were likely just as central to the menu.

But did they eat cheesecake? That’s the question posed by Philadelphia Cream Cheese and agency Gut in a tongue-in-cheek video about conspiracy theorists called the Cheesecakers Society.

Short answer: No, of course the Pilgrims and Native Americans didn’t eat cheesecake. They didn’t have access to any of the basic ingredients (sugar, cream cheese, sour cream, etc.) except for eggs and butter. Oh, and one other small problem: They didn’t have ovens, either.

But the Cheesecakers Society won’t let those minor setbacks—or conveniently rewritten “facts”—stand in the way of a good conspiracy, and they’re out to prove that cheesecake has always been on the Thanksgiving menu.

The goal of this dairy-driven movement is to put cheesecake (which happens to require buying cream cheese) at the center of dessert planning alongside more traditional options like pumpkin pie.

“At first, we were hesitant about the theory,” says Megan Magnuson, associate director of marketing for Philadelphia. “But once we saw the evidence and the original paintings, it was clear to us. Cheesecake is 100% the original Thanksgiving dessert. We think. We fully support the honorable Cheesecakers Society in their quest to restore cheesecake to its rightful place at the Thanksgiving table.”

This isn’t the first oddball partnership between Gut and Kraft Heinz-owned Philadelphia. Earlier this year, they created a Bagel That machine that claims to turn anything into a bagel—therefore making it worth slathering in cream cheese—by punching a hole in it.

As one of the few people who owns an actual Bagel That machine, I can verify that it lives up to its intent. But I can also vouch for the importance of cleaning out that metal punching tube before you end up with a core sample of every vaguely edible item your kids feel like carving a hole into.

14381: Annie The Chicken Queen Censored.

Annie the Chicken Queen continues to hawk poultry products, even though Popeyes and White advertising agency GSD&M don’t post her commercials online. So it’s not clear how long these uploads featuring turkey promotions, censored hot sauce and golf course gators will be viewable. Actually, the spots are barely viewable now, at least from a lameness perspective.

13901: Thanksgiving Memories.

Gee, why didn’t Getty Images use the image depicted above for its “Elevate Your Work With Powerful Images” campaign?

13880: Annie Is Smokin’ Hot.

Annie The Chicken Queen is back—and she’s smokin’ with her Smokehouse Boneless Wings. Plus, she’s cooking Cajun Style Turkey to order. Thanksgiving with Annie The Turkey Queen is the perfect prelude to Black Friday.

13444: Happy Thanksgiving, Jive Turkeys.

12950: A Heritage Of Ignorance.

In keeping with the arguably dumb decision to celebrate Native American Heritage Month in November with Thanksgiving, MultiCultClassics presents advertising and marketing featuring descendants of the true founding fathers (and mothers).

Ralph Lauren displayed cultural cluelessness in classic style.

Victoria’s Secret exposed insensitive ignorance on the catwalk.

Folks were not feeling happy with Pharrell and Elle.

Natural American Spirit appears to be smoking something strange by insisting the brand shows its Native American spirit via philanthropic support.

The Washington Redskins fumbled by saluting Thanksgiving, prompting a salute from MultiCultClassics.

The Land O’ Lakes Indian Maiden escaped one White advertising agency, only to be taken captive by another.

All of which warrants closing out with a little cry.

12949: Thanksgiving Truths.

Truthout presents, “The Thanksgiving Myth: Reflecting on Land Theft, Betrayal and Genocide.”

12259: Thanksgiving Musings.

Given that November is Native American Heritage Month, Thanksgiving seems like the appropriate day to acknowledge the honor. The Native Americans attending the original Thanksgiving feast were the Wampanoags, who ultimately helped the Pilgrim invaders survive in the unfamiliar land. Additionally, the main menu item was likely venison—provided by the Wampanoags—versus turkey (a delicacy that Native Americans also introduced to the Pilgrims). The Wampanoags were considered to be devilish heathens by the Pilgrims, which is ironic when realizing the Pilgrims probably would have died and gone straight to hell if not for the Wampanoags’ life-saving support. For many Native Americans today, Thanksgiving is the National Day of Mourning. Thankfully, the NFL didn’t schedule a holiday game featuring the Washington Redskins.

11611: Tortured By The Crazy Ones.

CBS is celebrating Thanksgiving evening with The Crazy Ones Marathon, rerunning three episodes in a row. Gee, this is the entertainment equivalent of Thanksgiving dinner at Mickey D’s.

11608: Thanksgiving Feast Of Facts.

Contemplating The Holiday:

What Native Americans Want You To Know On Thanksgiving

American Thanksgiving: A Pure Glorification of Racist Barbarity

Thanksgiving from a Native Point of View