In three days, Federated Department Stores will finally complete the rebranding of May Co.'s 400 stores to Macy's. The new Macy's stores will officially open across the country Saturday morning. To celebrate the deal's completion, Federated will launch its first national ad campaign on Thursday. The campaign will run the gamut of media, including national broadcast and cable television, local newspapers, local and national magazines, targeted radio spots, outdoor billboards and an extensive online advertising approach, the company said. While the TV commercials will feature the song "Dancing in the Streets," a number of Chicago residents will instead take to the streets with picket signs. More than 1,500 Chicago-area citizens signed petitions to convince Federated to keep the Marshall Field's brand. Most are upset that Federated ignored their request, so some are going to hit the streets, according to a Reuters report. Oddly, the leader of the group falsely believes that Federated is a New York-based company that views Chicago as fly-over territory. While the retailer is best known for its Midtown Manhattan flagship store in Herald Square, the company is actually headquartered in Cincinnati. At any rate, don't count on these Chicago residents to tune into Federated's next promotional event: the airing of Unwrapping Macy's, a Women's Entertainment Network reality show that follows the daily activities of sales associates and executives at the retailer. —Matthew Wurtzel
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