Pillsbury Doughboy

Pillsbury Doughboy
Years active	2009-2013 2014-2022
Sponsor	Pillsbury
Type	Giant Balloon
Designer	Jennifer Palmer
Manufacturer	Raven Aerostar
Height	46.4 ft.
Length	53.7 ft.
Width	34.4 ft.
Weight	500 lbs.
Helium Volume	12,280 cubic ft.
Handlers	90
NBC Underscore	"Smilin" (2014-2022)

The Pillsbury Doughboy
The newest Pillsbury Doughboy balloon giggles its way down the test track at Macy's BalloonFest 2023.
Years active	2023-present
Sponsor	Pillsbury
Type	Giant Balloon
Designer	Simon Fisher
Manufacturer	Macy's Studios
Height	55 feet
Length	23 feet
Width	33 feet
NBC Underscore	"Smilin" (2023-present)

The Pillsbury Doughboy (also known as Poppin’ Fresh) is an advertising mascot for Pillsbury, used to promote their line of baking products. He is most commonly seen in commercials where, when poked in his tummy, he giggles his signature “Hoo-Hoo!” Since his debut on November 7, 1965, the Pillsbury Doughboy has appeared in over 600 commercials for 50 products.

The character was created by Rudy Perz, a copywriter for Pillsbury’s advertising agency, Leo Burnett. He imagined the Doughboy popping out of a can of Pillsbury dough—hence the “Poppin’ Fresh” name—though worried the design would resemble Casper the Friendly Ghost too closely. A design by animator Milt Schaffer resolved these worries, giving the Doughboy a chef hat, handkerchief, and blue eyes.

History with the Macy's Parade

Holiday Lovin' Oven (2005-2007)

Prior to appearing as a balloon, the Pillsbury Doughboy appeared in the Parade as a costumed character on Pillsbury’s "Holiday Lovin’ Oven" float. The sweet float featured the Doughboy himself riding upfront as his gigantic oven whipped up tasty holiday treats behind him.

Pillsbury Doughboy (2009-2013)

The Pillsbury Doughboy debuted as a giant balloon in the 2009 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. The balloon featured the Doughboy in his signature chef hat and handkerchief with arms outstretched as if just poked in his 500-pound, helium-filled tummy. Far outgrowing his usual 8¾-inch frame, the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon measured 53.7 feet long, 34.4 feet wide, and 46.4 feet tall. The balloon was filled with 12,280 cubic feet of helium—equal to more than 3 million baked goods—and was guided down the route by a batch of 90 handlers.

In 2010, the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon promoted a line of ready-to-bake deserts from Pillsbury known as “Sweet Moments”—the only time the Doughboy balloon advertised a specific product. The original balloon flew in five consecutive Parades and was retired following the 2013 parade, after its fabric began to wear out.

Pillsbury Doughboy (2014-2022)

For the following year, the Pillsbury Doughboy returned to the parade as a brand-new giant balloon in the same size and shape as the original—the first time such a feat had been done in the parade's history. The decision to create a duplicate came about as Macy’s and Pillsbury agreed that the balloon’s design “nailed it” in terms of aerodynamics and in capturing the Doughboy’s personality. During its debut, it promoted the 47^th annual Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest, giving entrants a chance to win the $1 million grand prize. The balloon continued to appear in the lineup over the decade and became a Parade staple.

In 2020, the Pillsbury Doughboy balloon was planned to be flown with a five-vehicle framework, reducing the number of handlers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, as cases of the virus increased leading up to the reimagined procession, all but five of the balloons (including the Doughboy) were shown through pre-recorded footage of their past appearances.

The balloon returned to the parade live in 2021 and 2022 — but the latter appearance would not be without incident. When turning the corner from 77^th Street to Central Park West, one of the balloon’s handling lines became entangled with a tree branch, though it was eventually freed without damaging the balloon. The balloon was retired after the 2022 procession with a total of nine appearances.

The Pillsbury Doughboy (2023-present)

In 2023, a brand-new Pillsbury Doughboy balloon made its debut to inspire families around the nation to make more homemade memories during the holiday season. The balloon, which measures 55 feet tall, 23 feet long and 33 feet wide, features Poppin' Fresh in a new look, giggling his signature "hoo-hoo." Nine separate chambers make up the balloon, which is covered in over 50 gallons of paint.

Trivia

• In addition to appearing on the Holiday Lovin’ Oven float, the Pillsbury Doughboy costumed character was seen at the 2007 Inflation Celebration and Studio Day 2009.
• The 2009 design of the original Pillsbury Doughboy balloon was designed using an official maquette (provided by Pillsbury) as a reference.
• The Doughboy balloon’s chef hat could fit over 12,000 baked goods (with enough room left for Butterman).

See also

• Pillsbury Doughboy/Gallery
• Pillsbury