Amazon is going to the Rose Bowl.
The tech giant said Tuesday it will enter a float into the Rose Parade in Pasadena, Calif., which will precede a College Football Playoff matchup on New Year’s Day between Georgia and Oklahoma. Amazon said the float will be based on its flagship Prime Video series, The Grand Tour.
The Rose Parade, now in its 129th year and known for the volunteers who have donned white suits and red ties for decades, is far from a techie event. Amazon will be the first streaming service with a float in the parade. Amazon has recently shown an inkling to promote its high tech offerings in traditional ways, from TV commercials, to billboards and now its showing at the Rose Parade.
Amazon’s elaborate float will actually be a series of three, with each one featuring the face of one of The Grand Tour hosts — Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond, and James May — inside a giant wheel. The wheels will feature collages from the show, including an array of automotive components such as hubcaps and steering wheels.
Fitting the parade’s theme of “making a difference,” Amazon has gone green with its float. It will be human-powered, with eight people per wheel pushing the three-part float for the entire 5.5-mile route, a first for the Rose Parade. The floats will be made of plant materials, and they will be constructed closer to New Year’s Day.
Prime members can watch the parade on Amazon Prime Video starting at 8 a.m. on New Year’s Day. Amazon’s hosts will be “Cord and Tish,” AKA Saturday Night Live alums Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon.
