With the Holiday Season now essentially behind us and everyone focusing on the arrival of the next decade, I am consumed by thoughts of the origins of the most beloved symbol of this season...Santa Claus. A seemingly peculiar subject for a marketing blog to some, it may come as quite a surprise to learn that this year marks the 78th anniversary of the modern-day Santa Claus!
According to "Coke Lore", in the beginning, depictions of St. Nicholas, the Bishop of Myra, varied widely. Gradually, they were refined and evolved from many stories from countries around the world until finally, in 1931, the depiction of the large, jolly, and benevolent elderly man in his red suit was created by artist Haddon Sundblom and incorporated into Coca Cola magazine ads.
For decades afterwards, Sundblom's portraits further solidified the modern-day image of Santa Claus in the hearts and minds of people young and old the world over and were the foundation of the Coca-Cola ads which featured "Santa delivering (and playing!) with toys, pausing to read a letter and enjoy a Coke, playing with children who stayed up to greet him and raiding the refrigerators at a number of homes."
The Coca-Cola Company even reports that those years where discrepancies in this representation of Santa Claus were noted, they were inundated with feedback from customers: "People loved the Coca-Cola Santa images and paid such close attention to them, that when anything changed, they sent letters to The Coca-Cola Company. One year, Santa's large belt was backwards (perhaps because artist Haddon Sundblom used himself as a model and painted by looking in a mirror). Another year, Santa Claus appeared without a wedding ring, causing fans to write asking what happened to Mrs. Claus."
While I am well aware of the impact that effective advertising can have on the target market, I was astonished to learn that the Coca-Cola Christmas campaigns had such a profound impact on contemporary culture. Today, though no longer appearing in Coca-Cola commercials, Santa Claus can be seen spreading his message of commercialism and kindness for other companies around the world.
Thanks to the Coca-Cola Company , Santa Claus has emerged as a symbol of consumerism and the Christmas spirit. Children of all faiths and nationalities recognize his famous "Ho Ho Ho!", pack the streets along their respective Santa Claus Parade routes with their families and friends to celebrate the commencement of the Christmas season, and arrive in droves at their local shopping centers to have their pictures taken with him and ask for something special.
Though they cannot take responsibility for the conception of Santa Claus, there is no denying the role The Coca-Cola Company's advertisements and efforts played in his emergence as the "icon of contemporary commercial culture" we all know and love.
**information provided by http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_santa.html and http://www.stnicholascenter.org/Brix?pageID=35
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