Long before he became a global icon, Santa Claus appeared in many forms and colours, sometimes donned in blue, yellow, or green, sometimes tall and slender, sometimes far from the jolly figure we recognize today; a scary looking elf!
His image was shaped by folklore and cultures that celebrated him. One of the earliest visual images of the modern Santa comes from Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem, “A Visit from St. Nicholas.” Its famous lines quote:
“The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there”
The poem defined Santa’s personality as warm, magical, and generous. Yet even then, his visual identity was not set in stone, despite his widely accepted charismatic kindness.
That changed dramatically in 1931 when Coca-Cola commissioned American artist Haddon Sundblom to create a series of Santa illustrations inspired by Moore’s poem.
Sundblom imagined Santa as a cheerful, friendly figure: rosy-cheeked, merry and smiling, dressed in red, carrying a sack of gifts, and pausing to enjoy some Coca-Cola. The campaign was a massive hit in the market, and thence the classic red-clad Santa Claus was everywhere!
Coca Cola’s Santa wasn’t just an advertisement, it celebrated the warmth of the holidays! Over the years, the illustrations became so loved that this version of Santa slowly replaced all others in popular culture. Something that began as a brand identity, became a shared memory.
Today, when we think of Santa Claus, we unmistakably imagine him in red.
An idea where advertising, art, and culture intersect is exactly what makes vintage advertisements so powerful. Showcasing this journey through time, Conferro Heritae’s vintage advertisement inventory manifests itself as a reminder of how images don’t just sell products, they shape the stories we believe in.
Visit www.conferroauctions.com for more, or write to us at info@conferroauctions.com.