Santa Ads

It's been a hectic time, so I regret not posting more frequently.   I was thinking about something we are constantly bombared with every day: ads.  The guy in the red suit has been used to sell many things of the years and I wanted to highlight a few of them.

First, the most recognized Santa is the one created by the Coca-Cola company in the 1930s.

Starting in 1931, magazine ads for Coca-Cola featured St. Nick as a kind, jolly man in a red suit. Because magazines were so widely viewed, and because this image of Santa appeared for more than three decades, the image of Santa most people have today is largely based on our advertising.

Before the 1931 introduction of the Coca-Cola Santa Claus created by artist Haddon Sundblom, the image of Santa ranged from big to small and fat to tall. Santa even appeared as an elf and looked a bit spooky.

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.


At this time, many people thought of Coca-Cola as a drink only for warm weather. The Coca-Cola Company began a campaign to remind people that Coca-Cola was a great choice in any month. This began with the 1922 slogan "Thirst Knows No Season," and continued with a campaign connecting a true icon of winter -- Santa Claus -- with the beverage.

Later on tobacco companies loved to use Santa in their holiday advertising. Usually showing an illustration of Santa Claus and the Christmas packaging of their products for that season. This picture shows the 1943 Chesterfield products.

Eventually with all that work Santa needs some time to clean up.  So I found an ad in which Santa is selling some towels.