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5 Things You Never Knew About Santa Claus and Coca-Cola

coca-colacompany.com

he Santa Claus we all know and love — that big, jolly man in raiding the refrigerators at a number of homes. The original oil
the red suit with a white beard — didn’t always look that way. paintings Sundblom created were adapted for Coca-Cola advertising
TIn fact, many people are surprised to learn that prior to 1931, in magazines and on store displays, billboards, posters, calendars and
Santa was depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to a spooky- plush dolls. Many of those items today are popular collectibles.
looking elf. He has donned a bishop's robe and a Norse huntsman's Sundblom created his final version of Santa Claus in 1964, but for
animal skin. In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew several decades to follow, Coca-Cola advertising featured images
Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike of Santa based on Sundblom’s original works. These paintings are
figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 some of the most prized pieces in the art collection in the company’s
years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he’s known archives department and have been on exhibit around the world,
for today. in famous locales including the Louvre in Paris, the Royal Ontario
Here, a few other things you may not have realized about the cheerful Museum in Toronto, the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago,
guy in the red suit. the Isetan Department Store in Tokyo, and the NK Department Store
1. Santa Has Been Featured in Coke Ads Since the 1920s in Stockholm. Many of the original paintings can be seen on display
at World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta, Ga.
The Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the
1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines like The Saturday 3. The "New Santa" Was Based on a Salesman
Evening Post. The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus, in the In the beginning, Sundblom painted the image of Santa using a live
vein of Thomas Nast. model — his friend Lou Prentiss,
In 1930, artist Fred Mizen a retired salesman. When Prentiss
painted a department-store Santa passed away, Sundblom used
in a crowd drinking a bottle himself as a model, painting while
of Coke. The ad featured the looking into a mirror. Finally, he
world's largest soda fountain, began relying on photographs to
which was located in the create the image of St. Nick.
department store Famous Barr People loved the Coca-Cola
Co. in St. Louis, Mo. Mizen's Santa images and paid such
painting was used in print ads close attention to them that when
that Christmas season, appearing anything changed, they sent letters
in The Saturday Evening Post in to The Coca-Cola Company.
December 1930. One year, Santa's large belt was
2. Coca-Cola Helped Shape the backwards (perhaps because
Image of Santa Sundblom was painting via a
mirror). Another year, Santa Claus
In 1931 the company began appeared without a wedding ring,
placing Coca-Cola ads in popular magazines. Archie Lee, the causing fans to write asking what happened to Mrs. Claus.
D'Arcy Advertising Agency executive working with The Coca-
Cola Company, wanted the campaign to show a wholesome Santa The children who appear with Santa in Sundblom’s paintings were
who was both realistic and symbolic. So Coca-Cola commissioned based on Sundblom's neighbors — two little girls. So he changed one
Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising to a boy in his paintings.
images using Santa Claus — showing Santa himself, not a man The dog in Sundblom’s 1964 Santa Claus painting was actually a
dressed as Santa. gray poodle belonging to the neighborhood florist. But Sundblom
For inspiration, Sundblom turned to Clement Clark Moore's 1822 wanted the dog to stand out in the holiday scene, so he painted the
poem "A Visit From St. Nicholas" (commonly called "'Twas the animal with black fur.
Night Before Christmas"). Moore's description of St. Nick led to 4. Santa Claus Got a New Friend in 1942
an image of a warm, friendly, pleasantly plump and human Santa. In 1942, Coca-Cola introduced "Sprite Boy," a character who
(And even though it's often said that Santa wears a red coat because appeared with Santa Claus in Coca-Cola advertising throughout the
red is the color of Coca-Cola, Santa appeared in a red coat before 1940s and 1950s. Sprite Boy, who was also created by Sundblom, got
Sundblom painted him.) his name due to the fact that he was a sprite, or an elf. (It wasn’t until
Sundblom’s Santa debuted in 1931 in Coke ads in The Saturday the 1960s that Coca-Cola introduced the popular beverage Sprite.)
Evening Post and appeared regularly in that magazine, as well as in 5. Santa Became Animated in 2001
Ladies Home Journal, National Geographic, The New Yorker and
others. In 2001, the artwork from Sundblom's 1963 painting was the basis
From 1931 to 1964, Coca-Cola advertising showed Santa delivering for an animated TV commercial starring the Coca-Cola Santa. The
ad was created by Academy Award-winning animator Alexandre
toys (and playing with them!), pausing to read a letter and enjoy a Petrov.•
Coke, visiting with the children who stayed up to greet him, and

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