Over the years there have been many speculations over how much influence Coca-Cola has had over the Santa we know and love today. Unfortunately, not all of the rumours are true and have become urban myths instead. This Christmas, we’re here to put you straight and tell you what Santa Claus and Coca-Cola connections are true.
The Coca-Cola Christmas advert is loved by everyone. For us, it really marks the start of the festive season properly. In fact, the two have become so linked that many people have started to believe that the fizzy drink company and Father Christmas are more linked than they actually are. You’ve probably heard one of the following connections yourself, but they’re not necessarily true.
The Rumours Surrounding Santa Claus And Coca-Cola
Some people believe that Coca-Cola invented Santa Claus entirely after he appeared in their advertisements in the 1920s. However, most commonly people believe that Coca-Cola is responsible for Santa Claus wearing red. It’s typically something that comes up at a work Christmas party, or from the smarmy family member you only, reluctantly, see on Christmas Day. The rumour goes on to say that Santa wore green before Coke dressed him in their iconic colour.
The point is, you will hear either of these things at least once during the festive season. Whilst there are certainly links between the two, the truth may disappoint you (or your smarmy family member).
Is Santa Red Because Of Coke?
No, Santa Claus is not red because of Coke.
However, the modern image that we all know of Father Christmas was popularised by Coca-Cola through their advertisements. For their first adverts in the 1920s, the brand used the contemporaneous version of Santa which was quite stern looking and had elf-like features. They then made the decision to illustrate come the 1930s with Haddon Sundblom for their Christmas adverts. This version was very human, very jolly and had twinkling eyes — very much what we’re used to today.
Father Christmas had actually been red long before Coca-Cola got involved. From the early 19th century Santa had pretty much been exclusively depicted wearing red. This was popularised further through illustrations by Thomas Nast in the 1870s. Even the jollier version had been seen before the 1930s adverts, but they did certainly help bring that depiction into popularity.
Did Coca-Cola Invent Santa Claus?
This is very much untrue as Father Christmas has been around considerably longer than Coke. Typically when this sort of question is asked, it’s because people have been confused about the invention of the modern depiction. However, that isn’t strictly true either. Unfortunately, Coca-Cola had no part in any kind of inventions to do with Santa — just that the Holidays Are Coming.
If you were thinking of wowing your family with some Coke Christmas facts you may want to hold on to your reindeer. There are undeniable links between the two, but none of the bigger rumours are true.
Still, we all love the nostalgic advert and seeing the Coca-Cola truck this time of year.