Ad of the Day: BBH Gets Nostalgic for Macy's in Salute to the Thanksgiving Day Parade

Grand ad is affecting, but is it too wistful?

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Like most of its brick-and-mortar brethren, Macy's has struggled to keep pace in the era of e-commerce, suffering sales slumps that have forced the iconic chain to shutter many of its stores. And the year-end gifting season, which traditionally has given retailers a boost, was a huge bust for Macy's in 2015.

Can advertising spark consumer interest in spending some bucks at Macy's over the coming weeks? How about advertising that leverages Macy's place in popular culture by celebrating the 90th anniversary of its Thanksgiving Day Parade, televised on NBC since 1952?

BBH New York floats just such a concept in "Old Friends," a 90-second film about a very unusual relationship.

The spot opens in presumably pre-World War II Manhattan.

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