Santa Claus in red = a financial asset?

🥤On the eve of the holidays, I wanted to write an article on a very interesting topic: “Santa and cola”. By the way, here you can read about the new holiday commercial created entirely with artificial intelligence.

Today we see Santa Claus exclusively in a red coat with white trim, a hat with a pompom, and a friendly smile. But it wasn’t always like that.

The history of the modern Santa is an amazing combination of folklore, commerce, and marketing that ultimately became an economic phenomenon.

Origin of Santa Claus

The image of Santa was shaped over centuries. His prototype is Saint Nicholas, a Christian saint from Myra in Lycia, known for his generosity. In Europe, he had different names and images: Sinterklaas, Ded Moroz, Saint Nicholas.

In the 19th century in the USA, Santa turned into a cheerful old man with a long white beard who delivers gifts in a reindeer-drawn sleigh. The costumes at that time were of different colors: green, blue, brown. The red coat was not yet the standard.

Coca-Cola and the birth of the red Santa

The turning point came in 1931, when artist Haddon Sundblom created a series of illustrations for Coca-Cola’s Christmas advertising campaign. Santa was tall, plump, kind-hearted, in a red coat — the color matched the brand’s style.

The advertisement was so successful that the image of the red Santa became firmly fixed in the public consciousness and became the standard. The red color was associated with warmth, joy, and celebration.

Santa as a marketing asset

Interestingly, the red Santa became not just a symbol of Christmas, but also part of Coca-Cola’s business. Thanks to his image, the company was able to increase winter sales, strengthen brand identity, and create an emotional connection with consumers.

This shows how a cultural symbol can become a financial asset. Today Santa Claus appears on holiday packaging, merchandise, souvenirs, and the Coca-Cola brand earns millions of dollars in annual profit solely thanks to its holiday campaign.

Santa and stocks

One can even consider Santa as an indirect driver of Coca-Cola stock. During the winter holidays, demand for the company’s products consistently increases, which affects financial performance. Advertising campaigns featuring Santa strengthen consumer loyalty, boost sales of drinks and merchandise, and this is positive for investors:

• Seasonality: holiday campaigns increase fourth-quarter revenue.
• Brand value: the emotional connection with the symbol strengthens the company’s resilience in the market.
• Attracting new customers: children, families, collectors — all of them are potential buyers, influencing the long-term growth of the brand.

The financial lesson from Santa’s story

The story of the red Santa shows how culture, marketing, and finance can intertwine:

1. Folklore symbols can be transformed into commercial assets.
2. Emotional marketing increases a brand’s capitalization.
3. Even fictional characters can influence a company’s real financial metrics.

🎅 Today Santa Claus is not only a symbol of the holiday, but also an example of how smart marketing can turn a cultural image into an economic tool that affects a corporation’s stock and profit.