Toys"R"Us

Geoffrey's Dazzling Dance Party
It's a Toys"R"Us party with DJ Geoffrey during the float's second appearance at the 2023 Parade. (Photo: Macy's)
Years active	2022-Present
Sponsor	Toys"R"Us
Designer	Joseph Ammons
Type	Float

Toys“R”Us is an American toy store chain that specializes in the sale of toys, educational products, video games, baby apparel, and clothing. The first Toys“R”Us store opened in 1948 as Children’s Bargaintown, a baby-furniture retailer located in Washington, D.C. The modern iteration of the company’s big-box stores began in 1957 when the store began selling children’s toys, the sales of which prompted Lazarus to switch the store’s focus. Since then, Toys“R”Us has become a global leader in the toy category, generating $2 billion in sales across its 900 branded stores and e-commerce sites located in more than 25 countries.

After filing for chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2017, the company closed all of its locations in the U.S., British, and Australian locations, before reemerging in 2019 as TruKids. Only two stores were opened under this name, with both closing due to the COVID-19 pandemic causing a loss of sales. In August 2021, Macy’s announced that they would open 400 Toys“R”Us stores within Macy’s department stores across the United States by fall 2022.

History with the Macy's Parade

Geoffrey as he appeared in the 2021 Parade.

Toys”R”Us was first represented in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2021, promoting the aforementioned then-upcoming collaboration with Macy’s. To celebrate the occasion, the company’s mascot Geoffrey the Giraffe made an appearance on a custom utility vehicle pulling the Rocking Horse toy float.

Joining in the fun was #TheAccidentals quartet, who performed a barber shop rendition of the store’s iconic jingle, “I’m a Toys”R”Us Kid” for the NBC broadcast; Geoffrey himself was also named an honorary fifth member of the group.

In 2022, Toys”R”Us introduced a brand-new float to the Parade lineup titled Geoffrey’s Dazzling Dance Party. The float was a “dream project” for concept artist Joseph Ammons, who grew up going to Toys”R”Us stores. The float was a collaborative effort that took nine months from concept to completion, and seeks to inspire everyone to rediscover the magic of childhood and dance like nobody's watching.

The float features Geoffrey serving as the master of ceremonies to a dazzling dance party in his very own DJ pit. Designed to look like it was made of inflatables, the float also evokes the look of a bustling dance club. Toy companions featured on the float include Rocksaurus, Funkatron, a panda, a unicorn, and a monster truck. An inflatable costume of Geoffrey walks alongside the float one step at a time, an effect pulled off by two people walking in tandem inside the costume.

To promote the float, Toys”R”Us released a special video on their YouTube channel that features Geoffrey visiting the Macy’s Parade Studio to see his new float for the first time. After exploring the float and all of its features, Geoffrey gives his signature of approval as he signs the float.

Geoffrey brought in the disco vibes yet again as the float returned for the 2023 Parade.

Guest Stars

Listed below are the guest stars that have appeared on the Geoffrey's Dazzling Dance Party float, alongside their respective NBC broadcast performances.

• 2022 - Jordin Sparks and Boss Kids, performed "Stop This Feeling"
• 2023 - Jax, sang "Are You Gonna Be My Guy"

Trivia

• In the LEGO section of the Toys"R"Us store in Macy's Herald Square, a miniature model of the float can be seen in a Macy's Parade-themed diorama. The model took 29 hours of design work, and 14 hours of build time using 2,321 bricks. Other float replicas seen in this display include Tom Turkey and The Brick-Changer.