Update 1/2/14 The Tournament of Roses Parade float entered by self-storage real estate investment trust Public Storage Inc. won the Grand Marshals Trophy for excellence in creative concept and design. The parade took place yesterday in Pasadena, Calif.

Called Adventures in Space, the float appeared to television viewers and parade attendees as a single structure with three aliens traveling aboard a spaceship. However, the top of the spaceship opened 45 feet into the air revealing the aliens were driving three individual vehicles. During the parade, all three alien floats drove down a ramp descending from the front of the primary float and re-boarded the mother ship from a ramp at the rear of the float. It was the first time a float disassembled and reassembled as part of the parade, Public Storage officials said in a press release.

Each piece of the float also represented a letter in an alien alphabet. When assembled on the mother ship's control board, the letters spelled out a secret message that was decoded as Well Treat Your Stuff Like Its Our Stuff!, which is a company slogan. That particular animation earned Public Storage one of only two extended airtimes during the two-hour broadcast.

Photos of the float are viewable on the companys blog post, Public Storage Float Photos: Behind the Scenes.

The float was designed by Charles Meier and built by Paradiso Floats. Meier developed the concept for the float 20 years ago while he was still in high school. The theme for this years Rose Parade was Dreams Come True.

12/27/13 For the first time ever, self-storage real estate investment trust (REIT) Public Storage will enter a float into the annual Rose Parade (officially the Tournament of Roses Parade), held in Pasadena, Calif., on Jan. 1. The event boasts more than 40 million U.S. viewers, who in 2014 will see the Public Storage 45,000-pound float titled "Adventures in Space," which features three fun-loving aliens.

A rendering can be viewed at huertaquorum.com. Real-life photos are available on the blog post, "Public Storage's Rose Parade Float Is a Labor of Love." 

The creation of the float is a company-wide effort, with employees from 33 regional offices decorating a section that will be shipped to Pasadena. Public Storage has 5,000 employees in 39 states.

Each piece of the float represents a letter in an alien alphabet that employees decorated with flowers. When assembled on the mother ship's control board, the letters spell out a secret message that will lead three whimsical aliens to arrive at the parade on New Year's Day. The message will be discovered as the float's animation unfolds. This still-secret animation has earned Public Storage one of only two extended airtimes in the two-hour, five-mile-long parade.

The colorful float will feature chopped gold petals, 200 pounds of red lentils, 13,000 lime green button chrysanthemums and 52,000 carnations in a variety of neon hues, according to the Public Storage blog. Approximately 10,000 roses will be used on the skirt of the spaceship including varieties such as Hot Lady, Topaz, Star 2000, Miracle, Voodoo, Super Green, High & Magic and Cool Water. Each rose must be placed in an individual water vial, the company said. Several hundred green apples, half oranges and purple cabbages will also provide whimsical accents. More than 200 gallons of glue will be used to hold it all together.

Started in 1890, the Rose Parade is a festival of flower-covered floats, marching bands, equestrians and the Rose Bowl college football game. It takes place on Jan. 1 unless that date falls on a Sunday, in which case it takes place on Jan. 2. It is produced by the non-profit Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association.

Based in Glendale, Calif., Public Storage is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed REIT that primarily acquires, develops, owns and operates self-storage facilities. The company has interests in more than 2,110 self-storage facilities in 38 states with approximately 135 million net rentable square feet. It also has 188 facilities in seven European countries operating under the Shurgard brand name.

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