Sinclair Oil Kicks Off Centennial Celebration with DINO’s Thanksgiving Day Flight
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Christine Olver, Christine.Olver@macys.com, 646-429-5713
SINCLAIR — Sinclair Oil Corporation’s iconic green DINO™ [pronounced DYE-no] balloon returns to the 89th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® this year after a nearly 40-year absence — and just in time to kick off Sinclair’s centennial celebration in 2016.
In 1916, Harry F. Sinclair formed Sinclair Oil Corporation from the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. By the late 1920s, it was the seventh largest oil company in the United States. Today, Sinclair is among the oldest, continuous names in the oil business, and the green dinosaur is one of the most recognized icons in Americana.
More than 3.5 million people in New York and more than 50 million television viewers will watch the legendary Sinclair DINO take flight over the streets of New York City on Thursday, Nov. 26. A fan favorite in the late 1960s and 1970s, DINO joins the line of march as the only life-size balloon in the parade. Other DINO balloon fun facts include:
- Measuring 72 feet long, 24 feet wide, and 36 feet tall, the balloon is the actual size of an Apatosaurus.
- To give DINO his unique color, 50 gallons of green paint were used.
- Sinclair Oil’s DINO first appeared in the 1963 Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® and remained a fan favorite every year up until 1976.
- In 1975, the Sinclair Dinosaur balloon was so popular he became an Honorary Member of the Museum of Natural History.
“We are delighted that our iconic Sinclair Dinosaur is returning to New York City and participating in the world-renowned Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®. With our upcoming centennial anniversary, we feel extremely fortunate to have such a timeless brand symbol that is loved by Americans of all ages,” said Ross Matthews, chairman and CEO of Sinclair Oil Corporation.
The DINO balloon will require approximately 70 balloon handlers who have been trained for the job. Of these handlers, seven are Sinclair employees or family members; the others are Macy’s employees, friends and family.
The 89th Annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® airs nationwide on Thursday, Nov. 26, on NBC from 9 a.m. to noon in all time zones.
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About Sinclair Oil Corporation
Sinclair is a privately held Wyoming company with executive offices in Salt Lake City, Utah. Sinclair owns and operates two refineries in Wyoming along with a network of both crude oil and finished product pipelines and terminals in the Rocky Mountain and midcontinent regions. The company markets fuel in 24 states, supplying high-quality fuels to more than 1,300 branded stations, featuring DINOCARE® TOP TIER™ Gasoline. Sinclair Oil and Gas Company manages its exploration and production portfolios by participating in major oil and gas development projects in the U.S. Other affiliates include The Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, the Little America Hotel chain, The Westgate Hotel in San Diego, Sun Valley Resort in Idaho, and Snowbasin Resort in Utah. For more information, visit www.sinclairoil.com and follow the brand on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
About The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade®
With more than 50 million viewers across the country and more than 3.5 million spectators that line up along the streets of New York City each year, The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® is a national icon that has grown into a world-famous holiday event. For almost 90 years, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has marked the official start of the holiday season. Growing in size and scale, the parade proudly marches down a more than 2-mile route in New York City with more than 8,000 participants in tow, including Macy’s employees, their families, celebrities, athletes, clowns and dance groups spreading holiday cheer. The parade also features America’s best marching bands, fabulous floats and Macy’s signature giant helium character balloons. For more information on The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® please visit macys.com/parade or call the parade hotline at 212-494-4495. Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade® media materials are available at macys.com.
