Sonny the Bunny is a fictional character created by Thomas "Tommy" Johnston," who was the merchandising vice president of Macy's at the time.
The inspiration for the character came when one day, Johnston was reading a magazine while on a train, and encountered an appealing photo of a rabbit on one of the pages. After hiring a freelance artist to work on a drawing, Sonny the Bunny was created.
The character became a phenomenon, with shirts; overalls; slacks; bathrobes; scarfs; handbags; beach balls; bath-toys, and a board game being made, as well as a song sung by Gene Autry.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
With Sonny's popularity on the rise, a miniature float based on the character made its debut in the 1950 Parade.
The float featured Sonny munching on a carrot in a garden. On the back was a bush, with rabbits hopping in a clockwise direction.
Sonny was later retired after the 1952 Parade and was disposed of sometime after.