And Santa is Sponsored by . . .

To All Presenters:

So, the modern interpretation of Santa Clause is a symbolic byproduct of a global corporate advertising campaign.

That's disappointing.

While many countries have their own histories concerning "Father Christmas" or "St. Nick" most evolutionary lines have evolved into the amalgamated common image of the modern "Santa Claus" - and from here, Santa has had an evolution of his own.

Prior to 1931 Santa Claus' appearance varied. He oft appeared as a strict looking elf and tall, gaunt, unhealthy looking man - at different points in his aesthetic history he was short, tall, fat and thin. He has worn a bishop's robe and a Norseman's hunting clothes. One of the earliest American representations was provided by Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast when he drew a figure labeled “Santa Claus” for Harper's Weekly in 1862. His Santa was depicted as a small elf-like figure who supported the Union, but dressed in neutral tan colors instead of Union blue. Over the subsequent 30 years Nast drew Santa, the color of his coat evolved to the now traditional red.

Coke Cola began advertising their product in 1920, publishing print ads in "The Saturday Evening Post." At this point Coke was perceived as a summer-time drink so the Coca-Cola Company began a campaign to remind people their product was a thirst quencher year round. This began with the 1922 slogan "Thirst Knows No Season", and continued with a campaign aligning a true winter icon with the sugary beverage. Coke's first corporate sponsored Santa imagery much resembled the stern old elf made popular by Nast.

After a seasonal few fits and starts Coke contracted with the D'Arcy Advertising who devised a campaign that would present a realistic human Santa who could convey all the symbolism of the holiday season. Coke then contracted with Michigan artist Haddon Sundblom to develop the campaign's imagery.

Sundblom based his Santa off the description provided by Clement Clark Moore's 1822 poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly called "'Twas the Night Before Christmas"). Moore's description of chubby, happy old St. Nick led Sundblom to create an image of Santa that was jovial, rosy and very human (vs. literal elf). For the next 33 years, Sundblom painted portraits of Santa for Coke which, as part of their international advertising, solidified the now common interpretation of Santa in the minds of children worldwide.

So, this December 25th raise a glass of Coke in honor of a holiday tradition, after all - they paid for it.

THE POINT: Good marketing moves product, great marketing changes culture.