Coca Cola Bought Santa Claus

Coca cola helped shape the image of santa.

Coca cola bought santa claus. Coca cola did not create the legend of santa claus. Sundblom even provided a mrs. Santa claus got a new friend in 1942.

Back in 2007 a controversy the size of santa s jelly belly rocked the world. Sundblom redrew santa claus as a plump cheerful man with snow white hair and dressed him in red and white colors that had already become associated with santa but which happily matched coca cola s signature colors. Santa claus in red suit used to advertised confectionary 1868.

The original oil paintings sundblom created were adapted for coca cola advertising in magazines and on store displays billboards posters calendars and plush dolls. Coca cola began to use the red image of santa on advertising in the 1930s when the company hired artist haddon sunbloom to create a character of santa claus for use in festive campaigns. Santa reclines next to a cooler drinking from a coca cola contour bottle with a sack full of toys.

Claims were made that claus wears his iconic scarlet apparel because it s the same color as coca cola s brand ing yikes. Archie lee the d arcy advertising agency executive working with the coca cola company wanted the campaign to show a wholesome santa who was both realistic and symbolic. Before 1931 there were many different depictions of santa claus around the world including a tall gaunt man and an elf there was even a scary claus.

But in 1931 coca cola commissioned illustrator haddon sundblom to paint santa for christmas advertisements. In the early 1930s coca cola turned to haddon h. Many of those items today are popular collectibles.

Here s how it goes. Santa had been portrayed as a man dressed in red as early as 1870. With a bit of a research the short answer is no but coca cola played an important role in popularising the image.