Coca-Cola's Christmas Reign: How a Drink Defined the Holiday Season

• Christmas commercialization began in early 19th century US, driven by retailers selling gifts, especially for children.
• Department stores like Macy's professionalized holiday selling with elaborate displays and advertising, making consumption feel like tradition.
• Facing seasonal sales challenges, Coca-Cola commissioned Haddon Sundblom in 1931 to paint Santa, aiming to link its brand with Christmas.
• Sundblom's Santa, featured for decades, helped solidify a warm, humanized image of Santa in public imagination, though Coke didn't invent him.
• The 1995 "Holidays Are Coming" campaign with illuminated trucks became a cultural signal, transforming advertising into an unofficial start to the holiday season.

Why It Matters: Coca-Cola masterfully integrated its brand into Christmas, turning advertising into an enduring cultural ritual.