--- title: "Macy’s Is Hawking Its Thanksgiving Parade Balloons as NFTs Because Nothing Matters Anymore" description: "Macy's announced it's releasing digital reproductions of some of its iconic Thanksgiving Parade floats as NFTs in the name of charity." date: "2021-11-23" modified: "2021-11-23" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/macys-hawking-thanksgiving-parade-balloons-nfts" categories: - "Blockchain" - "Future Society" - "NFTs" tags: - "macy's" - "nfts" - "the digest" --- # Macy’s Is Hawking Its Thanksgiving Parade Balloons as NFTs Because Nothing Matters Anymore ![Macy's announced it's releasing digital reproductions of some of its iconic Thanksgiving Parade floats as NFTs in the name of charity.]() *\Image: Getty Images\* ## Parade Rainer Macy's announced ahead of this year's Turkey Day that it's releasing digital reproductions of some of its iconic Thanksgiving Parade floats as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the name of charity — and, we presume, because [nothing matters anymore](). First [reported by *Business Insider*](), this logical endpoint of all things crapitalism is being split up into three categories — "classic, rare, and ultra rare" — with 10 of the most unique "floats" being auctioned off on the Sweet NFT platform and 100 percent of the proceeds going to the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The charitable aspect is, perhaps, the only redeeming quality of this publicity stunt. Macy's is touting that, along with the Polygon blockchain-based Sweet platform, it's minted a special "smart contract" on each of its NFTs that will automatically donate 10 percent of every resold image to Make-A-Wish in perpetuity. https://twitter.com/WSJ/status/1463124874118017030 ## Rare Form Along with the 10 "ultra rare" reproductions of past floats, Macy's is also releasing an additional 9,500 NFTs on Thanksgiving Day for free, with the aforementioned reselling caveat. As *BI* reported, the Macy's NFTs were designed by the Reometry digital agency, which is led by artists Seth Brown and REO, hence the name. In one sense, the way they've gone about these designs — showcasing not just floats that will be in this year's 95th Macy's Thanksgiving Parade but also past floats — is a fairly interesting exploration of digital art. Not that we're praising this project or its artists too much. Take, for example, [this description from another REO NFT](), the title of which — "You'll Never Find Someone Who Won't Hurt You" — contains a double negative as infuriating as its description: "This was inspired by a voice in my head during a monumental trip," the artist wrote. "A very real truth I had been avoiding and needed to hear. When I posted it, it caused a deep conversation in the comment section of my instagram. Half of the people were like take this down it's promoting hate and others completely understood what it really meant. I'm excited for this piece to be my first on foundation." The artist sold that NFT for the Ethereum equivalent of $6,500, and the REO-codesigned [1950s Spaceman float is bidding highest]() among the Macy's NFTs at $5,200 and the bidding closes on November 30. So if you want to spend thousands of dollars on a GIF of a Thanksgiving Parade float with a little person walking underneath who looks deceptively like a character from Nickelodeon's mid-aught's classic "[Jimmy Neutron]()" designed by an artist who ripped off the "Be Here Now" aesthetic, now's your chance. **More on NFTs:** [*The US Government Says These NFTs Are Now Illegal*]() **Even more NFT cringe:** *[Watch Post Malone Buy An NFT While We Slowly Chart Our Descent Into Hell]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()