With Just Three Builders Left, Rose Parade Floatmaker Teams With Marketing Agency to Update Tradition

[An earlier version of this story said only two commercial float builders remain for the Rose Parade. As of August 2025, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses lists three approved professional builders: Phoenix Decorating Company, Artistic Entertainment Services (AES), and Fiesta Productions. Fiesta Parade Floats closed in 2024.]

In a sign of changing times for one of America’s oldest New Year’s traditions, Phoenix Decorating Company—now one of only three commercial float builders remaining for the Rose Parade—has partnered with marketing agency The Brand Amp to transform how sponsors leverage their parade participation.

The partnership announcement last month came about a year after the Tournament of Roses removed longtime builder Fiesta Parade Floats, leaving Phoenix as half of the parade’s commercial building capacity for the upcoming 137th parade on Jan. 1, 2026.

“For any clients who might be new to the parade, we now have a team capable of working more effectively with their marketing team to ensure they can fully realize all the opportunities available to a float sponsor,” said Chris Lofthouse, Phoenix’s president and chief executive officer.

Founded in 1985, Phoenix has constructed more than 900 floats and earned over 300 awards in its nearly four-decade history, including its 309th award in 2025. The partnership will support integrated marketing initiatives for nearly 20 floats in the upcoming parade, themed “The Magic in Teamwork.” Currently, Phoenix has 12 floats in production at its 110,000-square-foot Rose Float Plaza South facility in Irwindale.

The partnership reflects broader changes in how brands approach their participation in traditional events, shifting from simple presence to comprehensive marketing strategies. The alliance names The Brand Amp as Phoenix’s official agency of record and addresses a growing need among parade sponsors for comprehensive services beyond float construction.

The Brand Amp, founded in 2013 and based in Costa Mesa, brings expertise in public relations, social media, influencer marketing, event activation and production.

“Our mission is to help ensure clients experience a strong return on investment from a marketing and exposure standpoint, with the goal that they will continue to participate in this global New Year’s Day Tradition,” said Todd Brooks, co-founder of The Brand Amp. “Having been a Phoenix customer, we experienced first-hand the quality, creativity, and reliability of their entire operation.”

Phoenix’s year-round operation begins design work each January for the following year’s parade, with construction starting in late March. Beyond the Rose Parade, the company produces floats for community parades, movie premieres and special installations, including a Chinese New Year centerpiece for South Coast Plaza.

“Innovation has been at the core of Phoenix Decorating Company’s DNA,” Lofthouse said. “We have repeatedly achieved new milestones in our efforts to deliver the most compelling and wondrous versions of our clients’ visions. Recently we incorporated the first LED board on a float, we were thrilled to have the pyrotechnics and B2 flyover a few years ago, we had the first hybrid-powered float for Honda as well as the longest ever float.”