Coca-Cola popularizes Santa Claus image but does not invent it

Coca-Cola did not invent the modern image of Santa Claus but played a significant role in popularizing it. The current depiction of Santa, a jolly man in a red suit, has roots in 19th-century works by poet Clement Clark Moore and cartoonist Thomas Nast. Moore's 1822 poem described Santa as a chubby, jolly figure, while Nast's 1862 cartoons further shaped his image. Coca-Cola began using a version of Santa in the 1920s and commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom in 1931, who drew from Moore's poem. Before Coca-Cola, other companies, like White Rock Beverages, had already used similar Santa images in their advertising. The red and white color scheme associated with Santa became common long before Coca-Cola's campaigns.