2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade Debuts First-Ever NFT Balloon Blue Cat and Chugs

The 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will be making some strange history, as it will mark the debut of the first-ever balloon to be themed after NFT characters: Cool Cats. 

In a press release today, the Web3 company Cool Cats Group hyped their brand characters Blue Cat and his friend Chugs the milk carton making their way into the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. 

"This is a big moment for me as an artist and as the founder of Cool Cats," Cool Cats creator and founder, Clon, said in a statement. "Personally, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade has always been an important event in my family and it holds a lot of memories. Being able to showcase my artwork alongside some of the world's most recognizable characters is a dream come true. It means even more to me that we are participating in this monumental event due to the support of our Cool Cats community. Blue Cat and Chugs will be flying high and I'm excited to see new fans engage with our characters as we look ahead to an exciting new year for our brand." 

"As two of the most popular Web3 characters, we could not be more thrilled to build upon last year's success and introduce Blue Cat and Chugs in the physical world at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this fall," added Jordan Dabby, producer of Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. "We know that our fans will be delighted to see these iconic characters soar above the streets of Manhattan this Thanksgiving." 

The Cool Cats being featured in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade isn't purely coincidental; the press release reveals that "Cool Cats will also be unveiling a curated collection of limited-edition merchandise that will be available at 11 Macy's flagship stores and online at macys.com. The merchandise collection includes a plush of Blue Cat and a vinyl collectible. Fans in NYC can also purchase a hoodie available exclusively at Macy's Herald Square. All merchandise will come with digital activation features."

No doubt there will be some humor in the fact that the Cool Cats NFT brand is being featured in the parade – in the same year when many financial analysts claimed that the NFT market had "crashed." 

You can find more details in the press release, below: 

Cool Cats Group, the Web3 company and global character brand behind the blue-chip digital collectibles Cool Cats, together with Macy's has announced their upcoming appearance in the 2023 Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade®. Cool Cats will debut as the firstever NFT collection to be featured in the iconic holiday event, which will take place live in New York City on November 23, 2023. The new Cool Cats character balloon will feature their core mascot character Blue Cat and his adorable friend Chugs, the milk carton. 

Cool Cats, a digitally native character brand that has evolved into the mainstream through storytelling and partnerships since its founding in 2021, was voted as the winner of an online contest held by Macy's that provided one of five NFT brands the chance to be included in the beloved Parade. 

Clon, Creator and Founder of Cool Cats, is a long-time fan of the Parade. For years growing up, he watched the Parade on television with his grandfather, and now he'll get to experience the holiday spectacle in a whole new way – seeing his characters as larger-than-life balloons at one of the world's most celebrated events. 

The exciting Macy's announcement arrives following news of three upcoming games with nWay and iCandy-both a part of the Animoca Brands ecosystem-and Sync Studios. In addition, Cool Cats received strategic investment from Web3 giant Animoca Brands, and has a strategic partnership with leading AI and metaverse technology and content company Futureverse. Earlier this summer, Cool Cats was one of the first Web3-rooted companies to host a booth at the international convention Comic Con.

The 97th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade will air nationwide in the U.S. on NBC and stream on Peacock, on Thursday, November 23, 2023, from 9 a.m.- noon; in all time zones. For more information visit macys.com/parade. To follow and participate in the excitement, check out @macys on various social platforms and follow #MacysParade.