It's widely believed that today's Santa wears a red suit because that’s the colour associated with Coca‑Cola, but this isn’t the case. Before the Coca-Cola-Santa was even created, St Nick had appeared in numerous illustrations and written descriptions wearing a scarlet coat.
However, it is true that Coca‑Cola advertising played a big role in shaping the jolly, rotund character we know today.
The Santa Claus we all know and love — that big, jolly man in the red suit with a white beard — didn’t always look that way. In fact, many people are surprised to learn that prior to 1931, Santa was depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to a spooky-looking elf.
In fact, when Civil War cartoonist Thomas Nast drew Santa Claus for Harper's Weekly in 1862, Santa was a small elflike figure who supported the Union. Nast continued to draw Santa for 30 years, changing the color of his coat from tan to the red he’s known for today.
The Coca‑Cola Christmas trucks were first created in 1995 by agency W.B. Doner for the company’s new seasonal advertising campaign. Known as ‘Christmas Caravans’, the illuminated vehicles were made even more enchanting with special effects by the world-famous Industrial Light and Magic – who had previously worked on Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
The Santa Claus we all know and love — that big, jolly man in the red suit with a white beard — didn’t always look that way. In fact, many people are surprised to learn that prior to 1931, Santa was depicted as everything from a tall gaunt man to a spooky-looking elf.
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The Coca-Cola Company began its Christmas advertising in the 1920s with shopping-related ads in magazines like The Saturday Evening Post. The first Santa ads used a strict-looking Claus, in the vein of Thomas Nast.
In 1930, artist Fred Mizen painted a department-store Santa in a crowd drinking a bottle of Coke. The ad featured the world's largest soda fountain, which was located in the department store Famous Barr Co. in St. Louis, Mo. Mizen's painting was used in print ads that Christmas season, appearing in The Saturday Evening Post in December 1930.
In 1931 the company began placing Coca-Cola ads in popular magazines. 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. So Coca-Cola commissioned Michigan-born illustrator Haddon Sundblom to develop advertising images using Santa Claus — showing Santa himself, not a man dressed as Santa.
From 1931 to 1964, Coca-Cola advertising showed Santa delivering toys (and playing with them!), pausing to read a letter and enjoy a Coke, visiting with the children who stayed up to greet him.The original oil paintings Sundblom created were adapted for Coca-Cola advertising in magazines and on store displays, billboards, posters, calendars and plush dolls. Many of those items today are popular collectibles.
Sundblom created his final version of Santa Claus in 1964, but for several decades to follow,Coca-Cola advertising featured images of Santa based on Sundblom’s original works. These paintings are some of the most prized pieces in the art collection in the company’s archives department and have been on exhibit around the world, in famous locales including the Louvre in Paris. Many of the original paintings can be seen on display at World of Coca-Cola in Atlanta.
In the beginning, Sundblom painted the image of Santa using a live model — his friend Lou Prentiss, a retired salesman. When Prentiss passed away, Sundblom used himself as a model, painting while looking into a mirror. Finally, he began relying on photographs to create the image of St. Nick.
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 Sundblom was painting via a mirror). Another year, Santa Claus appeared without a wedding ring, causing fans to write asking what happened to Mrs. Claus.
The Coca‑Cola Christmas trucks were first created in 1995 by agency W.B. Doner for the company’s new seasonal advertising campaign. Known as ‘Christmas Caravans’, the illuminated vehicles were made even more enchanting with special effects by the world-famous Industrial Light and Magic – who had previously worked on Star Wars and Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Images of the Coca-Cola-Santa by artist Haddon Sundblom decorate the sides of the trucks. Just before the ad ends, the Santa on the back of the final truck raises his bottle of Coca‑Cola in a holiday toast.
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