Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom float part of the 2022 Tournament of Roses Parade

This New Year’s Day, Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom will join in the pageantry of the iconic Tournament of Roses Parade as a first-time float participant.

The legacy of Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the most loved and respected wildlife program in television history, continues with a 55-foot entry in partnership with RFD-TV. Wild Kingdom, which currently airs on RFD-TV, also has new and updated content across many digital properties.

The float’s theme features the king of the jungle leaping over a safari jeep driven by current Wild Kingdom host Peter Gros. The jeep is trailed by a menagerie of African wildlife, including a zebra and twin giraffes. Also represented on the float are a wolf, polar bear and penguins from the Arctic and Antarctic, as well as a whale and sharks emerging from the ocean. Viewers will also recognize Wild Kingdom’s legendary hosts, Marlin Perkins and Jim Fowler, who are included through photorealistic floragraphs.

“Words cannot express how excited we are to share our iconic ‘Wild Kingdom’ brand with the millions of individuals watching this year’s Rose Parade,” said Keith Clark, Senior Vice President of Brand Marketing and Communications at Mutual of Omaha. “This year’s parade theme of ‘Dream. Believe. Achieve.’ certainly ties into our commitment to inspire all generations and instill respect for the natural world as we commit to having a positive impact on our animal kingdom. We’re so excited to partner with RFD-TV on this amazing float in the most-watched parade in the world.”

What does it take to build a Rose Parade float?

• Float building lasts approximately five months
• The average 55-foot float weighs 25,000 pounds, with 3,500 of those pounds being flowers and seeds
• Every inch of the float must be covered in something organic, things like fresh or dried flowers, seeds, beans, bark, leaves, etc.
• It takes approximately 7,000 volunteer hours to decorate one float, with most work taking place in the week leading up to the parade
• The Mutual/RFD-TV float will be covered with 22,441 flowers, in addition to other materials. A small sampling of the organic material includes: roses, carnations, mums, wildflowers, black seaweed, fine ground rice, dried spices, flax seed and Spanish moss.

For additional information about “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” visit www.wildkingdom.com. Mutual of Omaha is a Fortune 500 provider of insurance and financial services. For more information, visit. www.mutualofomaha.com.

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