Digital Lab

Ok, marketers didn’t technically invent the holiday… but, everything that you know and love about how we celebrate WAS invented by a marketer.

Christmas Cards, Rudolph, Christmas Trees, Gingerbread Houses, and even Santa himself all struck their origins from a marketing campaign.

Christmas is a perfect example of how having the right message, at the right time, can shape the world around you.

Selling more “stuff” than you did last quarter is great.

But, you can do more than “sell stuff”.

You can start a movement.

Drive the world forward.

Build a legacy.

Inspire.

The Invention of Santa

While Santa existed prior to 1931, the current version we all know and love is derived from artist Haddon Sundblom’s work from that year with Coca-Cola.

Coca-Cola historically had weaker sales during the holiday season as people were switching to more festive beverages and those that fit the colder season.

So they created a massive marketing campaign to associate Santa with the joy and warmth of a nice glass of Coke.

They plastered Santa everywhere, with his bright red suit, perfect white beard, big round belly, and cheerful rosy cheeks.

Santa for decades had been depicted in a variety of ways.

Sometimes tall, sometimes short

Sometimes skinny, sometimes fat

Blue suits, brown suits, orange suits, red suits

Sometimes jolly, sometimes serious

This campaign cemented his image as we know it today, now almost every version of Santa you will ever see mirrors the Coca-Cola Santa.

So with one marketing campaign, Coke essentially hijacked the cultural icon permanently.

Rudolph Started as a Lead Magnet

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a perfect example of a genius marketing move turned cultural phenomenon.

The story was created in 1939 by Robert L. May for Montgomery Ward (a retail store). Every year the retail outlet would hand out small booklets with a Christmas story for children at no cost.

This was a great way to get more families into the store.

For the first time in 1939, the store decided to write their own story rather than buy one from another publication. This was just to save on costs.

However, May’s story struck gold with its lovable red-nosed underdog.

The cute illustrations won over management, and 2.4 million copies were given away that year.

What began as a simple marketing giveaway became one of the greatest lead magnets ever, driving enormous foot traffic and creating an enduring holiday legend.

Christmas Trees From a Classic Print Ad

Christmas trees didn’t really exist until 1850.

They were depicted before then as a staple of royalty/fortune.

Traditionally the wealthy would adorn ornate trees with candles in German culture.

But this truly became popularized by a print ad in The Godey’s Lady’s Book the most popular print magazine in the time shortly before the Civil War.

Inside the print ad depicted Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and their children gathered around a beautifully decorated tree.

The image portrayed the royal family as charming and festive, sparking admiration and imitation across the world.

Americans embraced the tradition, associating it with elegance and holiday cheer.

This quickly led to the Christmas tree being the centerpiece of every home across America during the holiday season.

The Take Away

This week’s issue deviates a bit from our usual message.

Where we are typically focused on the actions you can take within your business to make more money, attract more customers, and scale the company.

But I wanted to take this moment (with the holidays on your mind) to remind you that your business and the way you talk about it can shape the world around you.

Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. Explore big ideas.

Be more than “just another store”.

Coca-Cola sells sugar water.

Montgomery Ward is just a department store.

Godey’s Lady’s Book is just a magazine.

But with one clever campaign, they’ve shaped Christmas as you know it.

And for generations, America has and will continue to follow the traditions they’ve created.

That’s the power of good marketing.

What legacy are you creating?

Do you want to do more with your business? Treat it as an opportunity to create something truly memorable and meaningful to those who see it.

Take the opportunity to do marketing that matters.