Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. But no, The Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) did not invent him. It's hard to argue that Coke's advertising over the years hasn't left a large imprint on the American psyche. It's one of the America's signature brands, after all. The Real Thing. Indeed, it's long been rumored that Coke was behind the jolly red and white suit worn by Santa Claus.
Artist Haddon Sundblom was commissioned to create a large, jovial, pink-cheeked Santa for Coca-Cola ads. He did, and that image of Santa ran in 42 ads on billboards and in magazines from 1931 to
1964, cementing the image of a red-and-white-clad Santa for several generations of Americans.
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