Macy's Inspires America To "Believe" This Holiday Season

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On the heels of its 150th birthday, Macy's today unveiled its plansfor a nostalgic Christmas campaign called Believe, based on the New York Sun's famous "Yes,Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" editorial from 1897. Complete with in-store "Believe Stations" and adevoted "celebrity designer" TV ad, Believe captures the heart of the holiday with a season-longeffort that elevates the message of goodwill and generosity through a campaign to benefit the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Known worldwide for its holiday traditions from the Thanksgiving Day Parade to the first in-storeSanta, the magic of Macy's will unfold this year with Believe Stations in every store that feature aBelieve Meter, letter-writing station and an official R.H. Macy Santa Mail letterbox. Beginning onNovember 9, children across the country are invited to drop off their letters - stamped andaddressed to Santa At The North Pole - at any Macy's store in the Santa Mail letterbox. For eachletter received, Macy's will donate $1 to the Make-A-Wish Foundation up to $1 million to grant thewishes of children with life-threatening medical conditions.

The Believe campaign was rooted in a letter to the editor written by eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlonin 1897 asking if there is a Santa Claus. Newsman Francis P. Church responded with a poignantlyworded essay on the importance of Santa Claus Letter believing, including the famous line "Yes,Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist..."

"We are so excited to launch this inspirational Christmas campaign," said Peter Sachse, president ofMacy's Corporate Marketing. "Believe is the articulation of everything we treasure about the holidayseason, and is an authentic celebration of the Christmas spirit. We felt strongly that this year it wasimportant to remember and embrace the real sentiment of the season. We'd like to inspire all ofAmerica to believe."

The Believe advertising campaign will break on Sunday, November 9 with a national television spotand innovative newspaper ads, including full-page reprints of the "Yes, Virginia, there is a SantaClaus" editorial and disrupter print ads (ads which break into editorial space). The televisioncampaign will feature Macy's "stars" Jessica Simpson, Martha Stewart, Carlos Santana, DonaldTrump, Tommy Hilfiger and Kenneth Cole reciting select lines from "Yes, Virginia." A Spanish-language version will feature Carlos Santana, Ana de la Reguera and Carlos Ponce. All advertisingwill invite children around the country to deposit their letters to Santa at their local R.H. Macy SantaMail letterbox to help grant the wishes of seriously ill children.

"The Believe campaign not only reflects the spirit of the holiday season, it also speaks to a wishexperience - helping a child believe in their own future," David Williams, Make-A-Wish Foundation ofAmerica president and chief executive officer. "We truly appreciate Macy's continued generosity andpartnership in helping us grant even more wishes to courageous children thanks to this inspirationalcampaign."

The Believe Campaign will come to life online as well with a microsite - www.macys.com/believe -which will tell the story of Virginia O'Hanlon, feature an electronic Believe Meter, offer adownloadable letter kit complete with official Santa letterhead, and allow customers to design theirown "Claus" with the "Be Claus" application. "Be Claus" personalization allows customers to uploada photo and design themselves as Santa Claus. The final artwork can be used as an e-card, posted toa Facebook or MySpace page or sent to a mobile phone.

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JWT New York was the agency responsible for the creative development in collaboration with Macy'sCorporate Marketing. The Vox Collective was the agency partner for the Spanish-languageadvertising. Mediaedge:cia developed and implemented the media campaign in collaboration withMacy's Corporate Marketing.

About Make-A-Wish Foundation

The Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children with life-threatening medical conditionsto enrich the human experience with hope, strength and joy. Founded in 1980 when a group ofcaring volunteers helped a young boy fulfill his dream of becoming a police officer, the Foundation isnow the largest wish-granting charity in the world, with 66 chapters in the United States and itsterritories. With the help of generous donors and nearly 25,000 volunteers, the Make-A-WishFoundation grants a wish every 40 minutes and has granted more than 171,000 North Pole SantaLetters wishes in the United States since inception. For more information about the Make-A-WishFoundation, visit www.wish.org and discover how you can share the power of a wish.

About Macy's

Macy's, the largest retail brand of Macy's, Inc. (NYSE:M), delivers fashion and affordable luxury tocustomers at more than 800 locations in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and Guam.Offering distinctive assortments including exclusive fashion and home brands, Macy's stores areoperated by four regionally based retail divisions - Macy's East, Macy's Florida, Macy's Central, andMacy's West - and an online store at macys.com.

For Macy's media materials, please visit our online pressroom at www.macys.com/pressroom.

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