Did the popular image of Santa Claus originate in a Coca-Cola ad campaign?
Dear Straight Dope: I’ve been told that the image we have of Santa Claus (jolly old fat guy,white beard, red suit, rosy cheeks, etc.) was conceived for an advertising campaign by Coca-Cola. I then read elsewhere that the image had been common for a few years just before the Coke ad campaign. What’s the definitive answer? — Ryan McGorman Unless the Coca Cola company is a lot more influential than we usually give them credit for, this little bit of advertising legend is merely that: advertising. The red coat probably stems from the fact that the original St. Nicholas was a bishop. A de-sanctified Nicholas appeared later in Clement Clarke Moore’s poem A Visit from Saint Nicholas “dressed all in fur from his head to his foot.” But how an obscure European bishop became the ultimate American Christmas icon is a story in itself. The modern image of Santa Claus is an amalgam of several traditions. The figure of the Christmastime gift-giver is found in many cultures, showing up in the person of
