Macerich And HGTV Partner To Create 'Santa HQ' Innovative, In-Mall Social Experience For Holiday 2014

SANTA MONICA, Calif., June 26, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Macerich (NYSE:MAC), one of the nation's leading owners, operators and developers of regional malls, today announced a significant collaboration with HGTV, America's leading home and lifestyle brand, to create Santa HQ – an innovative interactive holiday experience at 10 top malls across the country that elevates the traditional holiday experience and children's Santa visit for the 21^st century through digital and social media.

"Our goal at Macerich is to enhance the customer experience in every way possible, and we seek out exceptional partners who share our passion and want to deliver exciting new opportunities that guests can't find anywhere else," said Ken Volk, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer, Macerich. "Visits and photos with Santa at the mall are a holiday tradition, and this year we are upping the digital and social experience with Santa HQ, while offering HGTV unparalleled access to millions of highly engaged shoppers."

Large-scale, in-mall installations – like Santa HQ – allow families to experience the wonder of Santa's workshop in the digital age. Exciting interactive technology transforms and customizes the experience, and every aspect is designed so guests can share their individual experiences immediately on social media. Santa HQ was conceived in collaboration with and produced by New York-based Pop2Life, an experiential marketing agency.

The new HGTV-branded Santa HQ will arrive this holiday season at 10 Macerich properties, including Chandler Fashion Center in Chandler, Arizona; Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Connecticut; Deptford Mall in Deptford, New Jersey; FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield, Colorado; Lakewood Center in Lakewood, California; Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos, California; Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona; Tysons Corner Center near Washington, D.C.; Vintage Faire in Modesto, California; and Washington Square near Portland, Oregon.

"The success of the HGTV Holiday House was overwhelming—thousands of our fans were able to experience our brand first hand and it gave us a chance to connect face-to-face with our viewers," said Shannon Jamieson Driver, senior vice president, marketing and creative, HGTV and DIY Network. "We will partner again with Macerich this season with an even more spectacular holiday experience for families to enjoy as part of their holiday shopping tradition." 

About HGTV
America's leading home and lifestyle brand, HGTV features a top-rated cable network that is distributed to more than 98 million U.S. households and the HGTV website, HGTV.com, the nation's leading online home-and-garden destination that attracts an average of four million unique visitors per month.  The brand also includes the HGTV HOME™ consumer products line which showcases exclusive collections of paint, flooring, lighting, furniture, plants, fabrics and other home-oriented products. For more information on HGTV HOME branded products and to find a retailer, go to www.hgtvhome.com. In partnership with Hearst Magazines, the HGTV Magazine, a home and lifestyle publication, is currently available on newsstands. Viewers can become fans of HGTV and interact with other home improvement enthusiasts through Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram. Headquartered in Knoxville, Tenn., HGTV is wholly owned by Scripps Networks Interactive, Inc. (SNI).

About Pop2Life
Pop2Life is an experiential marketing + music agency that specializes in branded entertainment, social experiences, and unique promotions that "go beyond." The company was founded in 2003 by former VP of Marketing & Promotion at RCA Records, Eric Murphy, who played a vital role in launching the careers of notable artists and bands including *NSYNC, Dave Matthews Band and Christina Aguilera.  P2L works with some of the biggest media + entertainment brands in the world including Clear Channel Media + Entertainment, MTV Networks, HGTV, AMC, Cartoon Network, Dreamworks, Food Network, NBC and many more.

About Macerich
Macerich, an S&P 500 company, is currently celebrating 20 years on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: MAC). The Company is a fully integrated self-managed and self-administered real estate investment trust, which focuses on the acquisition, leasing, management, development and redevelopment of regional malls throughout the United States. Macerich currently owns 55 million square feet of real estate consisting primarily of interest in 52 regional shopping centers. Macerich specializes in successful retail properties in many of the country's most attractive, densely populated markets with significant presence in California, Arizona, Chicago and the Greater New York Metro area. Additional information about Macerich can be obtained from the Company's website at www.macerich.com.

SOURCE Macerich