Ramadhani Mgalla

· 13 Aug 2022

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How Santa Claus Start & Become Popular For Christmas Coca-Cola Ad's.

The History of Santa be popular and later used by Coca Cola advertising start in 1850s When Thomas Nast, a caricaturist of German descent and godfather of the American cartoon.
He created 33 Santa Claus drawings.

During the Civil War, a Nast drawing from 1862 depicted Nicholas Santa as a peddler wearing the colors of the American flag. In January 1863, the magazine Harper’s Weekly published the first illustration of Santa Claus(Father Christmas) by Thomas Nast.

The magazine cover showed Santa Claus looking sad as he watched the young soldiers part with their families, and handed out gifts to Unionist men.

In this he was wearing a 'Stars and Stripes' outfit! Over the next 20 years Thomas Nast continued to draw Santa every Christmas and his works were very popular.

This is when Santa really started to develop his big tummy and the style of red and white outfit he wears today.

On January 1st 1881, Harper's Weekly published Nast's most famous image of Santa, complete with a big red belly, an arm full of toys and smoking a pipe. This image of Santa became very popular, with more artists drawing Santa in his red and white costume from 1900 to 1930.


Santa was first used in Coke adverts in the 1931, with the classic 'Coke Santa' being drawn by artist Haddon Sundblom.
He took the idea of Thomas Nast’s Santa.

Replaced the pipe with a glass of Coke and created the famous Coke holding Santa. He develop ads image using Santa Claus showing Santa himself, not a man dressed as Santa.

In december 1931 in Coke ads post and appeared in regularly magazine.


1940s CocaCola introduced “SPRITE BOY” Character who appeared with Santa in Coca Cola ads throughout the 1940s and 1950s. Sprite boy who created by Sundblom.

Up to 1964 Coca Cola ads showed Santa delivering toys & playing with children and pausing enjoy a Coke, raiding the frigerators at a number of homes.

In that years 1964 Sundblom created his final version of Santa Claus but several decades to follow, Coca Cola ads featured image of Santa based on Sundblom original work.

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