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.”
#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."
“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).”
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