Target Muscling in on Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Drama

On Thanksgiving, a day long considered by advertisers to be the domain of Macy’s and its elaborate parade, Target will sponsor David Blaine’s attempt to escape from shackles while dangling four stories above Times Square, the area through which the Macy’s parade passes on its way to its 34th Street destination.

Target, which does not have a store in Manhattan, will hold the stunt to publicize its 2-day sale, writes MediaPost. The event will benefit the Salvation Army, and Blaine will take 100 children, selected by the organization, on a Thanksgiving Day shopping spree (assuming he is successful in his attempt).

Details of Blaine’s stunt are expected to be announced on a lot on 46th Street in Manhattan at the end of the week.

Macy’s has had no official reaction to Target’s stunt.

Blaine has been a strong generator of publicity in recent years, particularly as one of his most recent stunts failed spectacularly: Last year, he was pulled unconscious from a “human aquarium” in Lincoln Center after trying to break the world’s record for holding his breath underwater. Successful stunts have included surviving inside an ice block for 61 hours and fasting for 44 days in an acrylic box swinging over London’s Thames River.

Earlier this fall, Macy’s relaunched its brand, with the largest nationwide advertising and marketing campaign in Federated Department Stores’ history.