For over 150 years, Macy’s has been making wishes come true during the holiday season and the tradition continues this year. Appropriately titled “Make-A-Wish,” this year’s windows demonstrate the magical transformation of holiday wishes and dreams into festive holiday ornaments. The ornaments are part of the brand-new Celebrity Ornament Collection, an assortment of 14 exclusive designs inspired by the unique style of Macy’s celebrity designers.
Created by award-winning designer Paul Olszewski (fourteen-time winner of VM+SD InternationalAwards – including Best In Show, five-time recipient of DDI Magazine’s Platinum and Gold Awards and twice named Leading Industry Influencer in DDI portfolio Awards), Macy’s 2011 Christmas windows combines the wonder of modern technology with the comforting nostalgia of traditional elements and animation.
According to Olszewski, “I think what we have this year is particularly special. Not only are we having fun with different kinds of technologies mixed with old school beauty and design, we’re also giving back and supporting the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the wonderful wishes they make come true for children all year long.”
Created with a Steampunk theme in mind, all sets, costumes and characters within the window will be white, bringing the vivid colors of the magic of dreams and wishes to the forefront.
The performers from Broadway’s Sister Act
Whoopie Goldberg with two of the Make-A-Wish Children turning on Macy’s lights.
And there are the lights!
The story unfolds with the help of innovative 3D technology as visitors watch a magical character launch from a mysterious ship headed to the North Star to decorate the tree of wishes.
What secrets do Christmas ornaments hold? Made from hopes and dreams aboard a mysterious ship, they’re ferried by an enigmatic messenger to the towering Tree of Wishes on the North Star.
But how?
The excitement builds inside this window, showing what is taking place inside the ship just before launching this mysterious character…that wishes and dreams are being turned into ornaments and loaded onto a strange device in order to decorate the Tree of Wishes.
A mystical journey carries the world’s wishes, melded into beautiful ornaments, to an unknown destination across the sky. Someone is pulling the strings.
But who?
In the “Wish Factory” the mysterious ingredients that create a wish are “stirred up,” magically transforming into beautiful ornaments.
In a mystical process, the essence of every wish is extracted, blended and transformed into ornaments as beautiful as the hopes that Inspired them. Some you just might recognize.
But whose?
The celebrity ornaments come to life in a flurry of animation and optical illusion to illustrate the power of wishes.
The world’s wishes have been collected, their essences distilled and sorted, and an otherworldly mechanism begins to mix, spin, chug, crank… and create.
But what?
Actual wishes from children from the Make-A-Wish foundation are featured boarding the “Ship of Wishes” to make the journey from a mere dream to vibrant reality.
Gathered by unknown enchanted beings and drawn aboard a magical ship, wishes from far and wide become rare and beautiful ornaments.
But why?
The fun turns interactive! Visitors are invited to make-a-wish and create their own magical ornament via three touch stations on the glass personalized with color, theme, designs and more. When complete, the ornament will appear larger than life in the window—which can then be can then be ‘pinged’ back to their mobile devices with an option to upload it to their Facebook page. This results in a gift visitors can ‘virtually’ take with them to remember the experience…a permanent reminder of the memories made and wishes realized.
Watch your wish become an ornament worthy of the most majestic tree set upon a distant star. Step right up and tap it in… and perhaps you’ll see it again.
But when?
