Show You Believe! Macy’s Invites America to Join The Santa Project

Business Wire News Service

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Macy’s aims to curtail Internet cynicism by filling it with optimistic expressions of belief this holiday season

NEW YORK (BUSINESS WIRE) As part of its annual Believe campaign, Macy’s (NYSE: M) on Monday launched The Santa Project, a nationwide movement to fill the Internet with positive affirmations of belief. Macy’s is calling on people of all ages to post a photo, message or video with #SantaProject via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube to show their beliefs. A selection of responses will be featured in a Macy’s television commercial coming this December.

“The story of Virginia O’Hanlon and the importance of believing have been the inspiration behind our iconic holiday campaign for the past eight years,” said Joe Feczko, senior vice president of brand marketing for Macy’s. “This season, we want to do everything we can to boost the spirit of Santa for future generations. When you look at the Internet right now, there is a lot of negativity out there. We’re asking people to come together this Christmas to flood the Internet with a groundswell of positivity that preserves belief for kids everywhere.”
About The Santa Project
The magic of Santa has been shared by word of mouth for generations and then spread through books, film and television. Today, the Internet provides an influential channel to continue this legacy. Children have unparalleled access to the most expansive breadth of information of any generation at the touch of their fingertips, and they turn to the Internet for answers. When inquiring about Santa, the answer is not so nice.
Macy’s is on a mission to change that. Starting this month, Macy’s is encouraging people to flood the Internet with expressions of belief in Santa and the Christmas spirit. By sharing a response that captures the importance of believing and what Santa means to them, everyone can play a role in keeping the magic of the holidays alive and ensuring that the Internet is a place where Santa lives on for future generations.

The Santa Project comes to life in a short film featuring children as they discuss what it means to believe in Santa. In addition, a television commercial, inviting America to respond, will air during Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade^®, the official kick-off to the holiday season.
About The Research
The Santa Project conducted national quantitative and qualitative research investigating the importance of belief in Santa and the current state of belief across the country.
According to a recent Ipsos survey, two out of three people with kids in the home (66 percent) think it is important to believe in Santa (54 percent for all U.S. adults). However, 44 percent of U.S. adults think that belief is decreasing, versus just 8 percent who think it is increasing.
According to Dr. Jacqueline Woolley, leading expert in the field of child psychology, studies have shown that belief improves creativity and imagination, while also strengthening critical thinking.
“The kind of thinking involved in imagining how reindeer could fly through the sky is the same kind of thinking required for imagining solutions to today’s biggest problems,” Woolley said. “This kind of thinking — engaging the border between what is possible and what is impossible — is at the root of all scientific discoveries and inventions, from airplanes to the Internet.”
An additional qualitative study, commissioned by Macy’s, was conducted with 40 children, ages six- to nine- years-old, to study belief in Santa. Interviews showed that belief in Santa can build family traditions and rituals, and instill ideas of morality and generosity.
Join The Santa Project
Here’s how to get involved:

1. Create a response that will help fill the Internet with belief, in the form of a short message, photo or video on why you believe in Santa and the spirit of the holiday season (filmed via smartphone, held sideways in landscape format)
2. Post on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or YouTube with #SantaProject
3. Encourage your family and friends to join the movement and spread the spirit of belief

Select video responses will be featured in a Macy’s television spot in December.
The Santa Project is part of Macy’s Believe campaign, which benefits Make-A-Wish^®. Customers can drop their letters to Santa at Macy’s or send digitally at macys.com/believe. For every letter collected in-store or online, Macy’s will donate $1, up to $1 million, to Make-A-Wish, the organization that grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.
To learn more about The Santa Project, visit macys.com/believe. Visitors can view a counter that will keep track of expressions of belief being spread throughout the holiday season, including an updated list of Top 10 states in the country that are showing the most belief via social media, letters to Santa, visits to Santa at Macy’s Santaland, and visits to macys.com/believe.
The Santa Project was created by Macy’s in partnership with Figliulo&Partners.