The Energizer Bunny is the marketing icon and mascot of Energizer Batteries USA. It is a pink toy rabbit wearing sunglasses and blue and black striped sandals that beats a bass drum bearing the Energizer logo. Originally a parody of the pre-existing Duracell Bunny, still seen across the globe, in places like the UK, Europe, and Australia, the Bunny has been seen in television commercials in North America since his debut in 1988. The Energizer Bunny is also known for his long-running slogan, "It keeps on going and going and going and going...."
History with the Macy's Parade[]
The Macy's Parade Studio first approached the Energizer company back in the early 1990s, asking if they would be interested in introducing their advertising icon, the Energizer Bunny, to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Energizer declined due to a lack of interest, and the Energizer Bunny project was temporarily shelved.
The Energizer Bunny project was revived a decade later for the 2006 Parade, where the energetic bunny took form of a balloonicle. The design featured the Energizer Bunny marching to the beat of his own bass drum (just like in his commercials), sporting his signature sunglasses and blue sandals.
The balloonicle would make national headlines after the 2008 Parade when it was seen "escaping" the Parade route moments after it's NBC telecast appearance. The stunt was approved by Macy’s and New York as a way of imitating the company's "It keeps on going and going and going and going...." slogan, marking this as the only time in the Parade’s history where any unit in the Parade had deliberately left the route.
In 2010, the balloonicle was given a revamped drum head, bearing a more realistic laser beam. That same year, the balloonicle deflated shortly after the Parade had stepped off. The Energizer Bunny was quickly reinflated and was able to start its journey down the Parade route with out any further delay. However, the same year, it wasn't mentioned on the NBC telecast by the hosts. The Energizer Bunny balloonicle was retired after the 2011 Parade, making six appearances in total.
The balloonicle was last seen fully inflated in February 2012 at the Macy's Parade Studio, undergoing a quality control test. Since then, the balloonicle has sat dormant in the Macy's Parade Warehouse.
Trivia[]
- Energizer Bunny, the Kool-Aid Man, and Go Bowling are the longest-lasting balloonicles in parade history with all of them making six consecutive appearances.
- Energizer Bunny wasn't mentioned in the 2010 NBC telecast, making it the second ever time a unit was skipped in a telecast, the other being the Cheesasaurus Rex balloon in 2003.