The Santa We Know And Love Is Thanks To Coca-Cola Marketing

Some people criticize the current state of Christmas as the quintessence of capitalism. They argue that Christmas in the modern age has steered too far from the origins of the holiday. But much to the chagrin of contemporary Christmas naysayers, the modern conception of Santa Claus has its roots in the marketing ploys of the soda industry mogul, Coca-Cola.

Prior to the 1860s, depictions of Santa were inconsistent — different cultures' and artists' representations of the figure ranged from a small little elf to a slender gift giver. The contemporary image of Santa Claus can be traced all the way back to the Civil War when Thomas Nast designed political cartoons that showed Santa's support for the Union, characterizing him as a short elf. Over the course of 30 years, Nast continued drawing Santa and his work began to eke out the image of a red-coated human.



While Nast pioneered the current image of Santa, the Coca-Cola Company perpetuated the look of a hefty, jolly, bearded man dressed in bright red. After the Civil War political propaganda circulated, images of Santa Claus continued to vary. Once Coca-Cola began its seasonal marketing, however, the present day image of Santa truly began to solidify.

Where does Coca-Cola fit into the Santa Claus story? In an effort to sustain successful sales in the winter months, Coca-Cola launched its first Christmas marketing campaign in magazines in the 1920s. But it wasn't until the 1930s that the carbonated beverage giant spread a design of a rounded, white-haired older man. Coca-Cola worked with an advertising agency who suggested creating a human-looking, jolly Santa with a red coat.

Haddon Sundblom was commissioned to paint the new and improved Santa, and he sought inspiration from "'Twas the Night Before Christmas," a classic holiday poem about Santa's Christmas Eve visit to a family's home. From there, the image of an affectionate, tender Santa was born. Like Nast, Sundblom continued to design images of Santa for Coca-Cola's marketing for 30 years.

But after the 1960s, the company decided to remain consistent with Sundblom's first drafts. Today, Coca-Cola and Christmas have almost become synonymous — the company's marketing campaigns are ubiquitous during the holidays and have become some of the . Once November hits, blankets, commercials, billboards, bottles, and cans are all decorated with images of a rosy-cheeked Santa sipping on a coke.

So, if , consider leaving out a coke for St. Nick alongside these . Recommended.