How Coca-Cola Turned Santa Claus Red: The Story Behind the Iconic Image

The image of Santa Claus we know and love today—jolly, round, with a snowy white beard, and dressed in a bright red suit—has become an indelible symbol of Christmas around the world. However, this familiar portrayal is not the result of ancient tradition or folklore, but rather a modern marketing success story. The transformation of Santa’s outfit from green or other colors to the iconic red suit we recognize today owes much of its popularity to one of the world’s largest and most recognizable brands: Coca-Cola.

In this blog, we’ll explore how Santa's color evolved over the years and how Coca-Cola’s advertising played a pivotal role in shaping the red-suited Santa Claus we know today.

The Early Depictions of Santa Claus

Before the modern Santa Claus became synonymous with red, his appearance was quite varied, especially in the early depictions of Saint Nicholas. Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Christian bishop who became the inspiration for Santa Claus, was originally portrayed wearing religious robes—often in hues of green, purple, or even white—symbolizing holiness and renewal.

The tradition of Santa Claus in Europe, particularly in the Netherlands, was deeply tied to Sinterklaas, who was depicted as a tall, slender figure in a bishop’s outfit. Over time, the character of Sinterklaas was brought to America by Dutch settlers in the 18th century and began to merge with other folklore traditions, evolving into the Santa Claus we recognize today. Early American depictions of Santa saw him wearing a variety of colors, including green, red, blue, and even brown.

Santa's Look Evolves: The 19th Century

By the early 19th century, the Santa Claus image began to solidify. One of the most influential moments in shaping the modern Santa came from Clement Clarke Moore’s 1823 poem, "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (also known as "The Night Before Christmas"). This poem painted a picture of a jolly, plump, and bearded man who came from the North Pole on Christmas Eve, delivering presents to children. However, Moore didn’t specify what color Santa wore. Santa was depicted as a "jolly old elf" with a "round little belly," but his attire was left open to interpretation.

The 19th century also saw Santa in various artistic interpretations. Artists like Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist, began creating images of Santa in the 1860s and 1870s. Nast, who worked for Harper’s Weekly, is often credited with the popularization of Santa's iconic characteristics, such as his sleigh, reindeer, and his North Pole residence. By the 1880s, Nast’s illustrations featured Santa in a red suit with fur trim, a look that would later become standard, but it was still not as universally recognized as it is today.

Coca-Cola’s Santa: The 1930s Marketing Revolution

While Santa Claus had already evolved into a more recognizable figure by the 20th century, the red suit didn’t become the dominant and iconic color for Santa until Coca-Cola came into the picture. The catalyst for the red-suited Santa’s worldwide dominance was a clever and strategic advertising campaign that began in the 1930s.

In 1931, Coca-Cola launched a holiday advertising campaign featuring a jolly, red-suited Santa Claus created by Haddon Sundblom, an artist who would go on to shape the modern image of Santa for decades. Coca-Cola’s goal was simple: to sell more soda during the winter months by associating their drink with the warmth, joy, and festive spirit of the holiday season. Coca-Cola was looking to create an image of Santa that would feel both familiar and universally appealing.

Sundblom’s Santa was designed to appear warm, friendly, and approachable, sitting by the fireplace or sharing a Coke with children. The image of Santa enjoying a Coca-Cola during the holiday season was a natural fit for the brand, and the red suit was an obvious match, as it complemented Coca-Cola’s signature red-and-white color scheme. Sundblom’s Santa had a round belly, a cheerful face, and an unmistakably jolly demeanor—qualities that would make him instantly recognizable.

The Impact of Coca-Cola’s Santa

The Coca-Cola advertisements featuring Santa Claus were an instant hit. The campaign ran every holiday season from 1931 through the 1960s, and the image of Santa Claus—plump, smiling, and wearing a red suit—was widely circulated in magazines, newspapers, and billboards. Coca-Cola's Santa quickly became a symbol of Christmas cheer and holiday spirit, which, in turn, helped to cement the red-suited image of Santa in the minds of consumers around the world.

The brilliance of the Coca-Cola campaign was not just in its wide reach but in how it redefined the public’s perception of Santa. Prior to the 1930s, Santa had been depicted in a variety of different outfits, often reflecting regional or artistic interpretations. However, Coca-Cola’s consistent use of the red suit, combined with the joyous and benevolent portrayal of Santa, made this version of Santa the gold standard.

Santa’s red suit became so iconic that it overshadowed other variations, and over time, artists and media adopted this version as the "official" Santa Claus, reinforcing Coca-Cola's influence on the holiday’s visual culture.

Beyond Coca-Cola: The Legacy of Red

Although Coca-Cola played a significant role in popularizing the red-suited Santa, it’s important to note that Coca-Cola did not invent the red suit. Other artists, such as Thomas Nast, had already depicted Santa in red, but it was the Coca-Cola campaign that helped make it mainstream.

Over the years, the image of Santa in a red suit has been perpetuated in movies, TV shows, advertisements, and holiday decorations. Today, Santa's red suit is universally recognized, and it’s hard to imagine him dressed in any other color. Coca-Cola’s influence on Christmas imagery, particularly in the form of Santa, has become so entrenched in popular culture that it’s easy to forget that it was once just part of a marketing strategy.

Conclusion: A Marketing Masterstroke

The story of how Santa Claus became red is a fascinating example of the power of advertising and its ability to shape popular culture. While the evolution of Santa’s look had been ongoing for centuries, Coca-Cola’s campaign in the 1930s was the turning point that solidified the red-suited Santa in the global imagination. Through clever marketing, Coca-Cola not only helped boost their own sales but also created an enduring symbol of Christmas joy and holiday spirit that remains iconic to this day.

So, the next time you see a plump, jolly Santa Claus in his red suit enjoying a Coke, remember—it’s not just an image from folklore. It’s the result of a brilliant marketing campaign that helped define how we celebrate Christmas around the world.