How Coca-Cola Invented Christmas,…(or did they?)

How Coca-Cola “Created” Christmas (Or Did They?)

MurmrX • September 2, 2025

Coca-Cola didn’t invent Santa Claus. But in 1931, one ad brief and one painter—Haddon Sundblom—gave the world a version of Santa so irresistible that it became the Santa. This is how a soda turned folklore into a global memory.

TL;DR: Santa is centuries old. The modern look—jolly, plump, red suit, twinkling eyes—was popularized (not invented) by Coca-Cola’s long-running holiday ads painted by Haddon Sundblom beginning in 1931.

The World Before Coke’s Santa

• In Europe, gift-givers varied: Sinterklaas (Dutch), Father Christmas (British), Saint Nicholas (Catholic)—with robes that were often green, brown, blue, or bishoply gold.

• In 19th-century America, Santa’s image was inconsistent—sometimes an elf-like figure, sometimes a stern bishop, sometimes a fur-clad woodsman.

1823 — “A Visit from St. Nicholas” (“’Twas the Night Before Christmas”) sketches the sleigh, chimneys, and reindeer mythos.

1860s–80s — Illustrator Thomas Nast (Harper’s Weekly) adds the North Pole, lists, and a stout, bearded Santa—often in red.

1931: The Brief That Bottled Christmas

Winter soda sales sagged. Coca-Cola needed warmth in the cold months—and a human connection. They commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom to paint Santa for their holiday campaign.

Sundblom’s Makeover

• Santa as a friendly grandparent: rosy cheeks, laugh lines, a conspiratorial smile.
• A plush red suit trimmed in snowy white—clean silhouettes, cozy textures.
• Human moments: writing lists, raiding fridges, pausing mid-delivery… for a Coke.

Why It Worked

• Repetition: The same warm Santa returned year after year.
• Placement: Billboards, magazines, storefronts—everywhere families looked.
• Emotion: A story you could feel: generosity, mischief, wonder… and refreshment.

Myth vs. Reality

Myth	Reality
“Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus.”	False. Santa’s roots stretch back to St. Nicholas and centuries of folklore and literature.
“Santa wears red because of Coca-Cola.”	Mostly false. Red attire appears in 19th-century art (e.g., Thomas Nast). Coke standardized and globalized that look.
“Coca-Cola made the modern Santa unavoidable.”	True. Sundblom’s 1931+ campaign cemented the jolly, red-suited image worldwide.

Why This Image Stuck (Brand Psychology)

Familiarity = Trust

Repeated exposure builds liking. See the same warm Santa every December and he becomes the season itself.

Story > Slogan

The ads weren’t just product shots; they were scenes—little narratives of delight. We remember stories, not billboards.

Quick Timeline

• 4th century: St. Nicholas becomes a model of generosity.
• 1823: “A Visit from St. Nicholas” popularizes sleigh-night magic.
• 1860s–80s: Thomas Nast sketches a rounder, red-leaning Santa.
• 1931: Coca-Cola debuts Sundblom’s Santa—human, joyful, iconic.
• 1931–1960s: Annual Coke campaigns make that image universal.

Bottom line: Coca-Cola didn’t create Christmas. They packaged a feeling—and repeated it until it felt like memory.

Sources & Further Reading

• The Coca-Cola Company: The Coke Santa history
• Snopes: “Did Coca-Cola Invent the Modern Santa?”
• Smithsonian: Santa Claus in American History
• Encyclopædia Britannica: Santa Claus

Branding Coca-Cola Haddon Sundblom Christmas Cultural History Marketing