It was standardized by Coca-Cola's marketing department to solve a real business problem: transforming the worst sales period of the year into the most profitable.

Few people know, but Santa Claus has existed for almost 1,700 years. His origin comes from Saint Nicholas of Myra (270–343 AD), in present-day Turkey, a bishop known for making anonymous donations to poor children and families.

The original archetype was generosity, not consumption.

In medieval Europe, Saint Nicholas evolved into Sinterklaas, especially in the Netherlands.

The name "Santa Claus" emerged later in the USA, as a phonetic adaptation brought by Dutch immigrants in the 17th century.

So far, no marketing, no mass consumption.

For centuries, Santa Claus had no standard appearance.

He has been portrayed as thin, serious, tall, sometimes even frightening, wearing green, brown, or blue.

Each region had its own version. There was no universal character.

The same applies to Christmas.
In the early centuries of Christianity, Christmas was not celebrated, and the Bible does not mention December 25th as the date of Jesus' birth.

The date was only adopted in the 3rd century, partly because it coincided with pagan winter festivals.

Christmas only began to take on its "modern face" in the 19th century.
After 1840, Prince Albert brought the tradition of the Christmas tree to England.

In 1848, the image of the royal family around the tree spread, and the ritual became fashionable in the West.

With the Industrial Revolution, Christmas became something new: an annual economic anchor.

Mass production + advertising + gifts created a predictable period of large-scale emotional consumption.

Herein lies Coca-Cola's dilemma at the beginning of the 20th century. The brand was growing rapidly, but it had a structural problem: iced soda sold very well in the summer and plummeted in the winter.

Christmas was one of the worst periods of the year for the company.

In 1931, Coca-Cola decided to use marketing to change the game. They hired illustrator Haddon Sundblom and created a human Santa Claus, friendly, with a big belly and dressed in red.

The message was clear: Coca-Cola is synonymous with happiness, family, and Christmas.

The campaign was not a one-off event.

It was repeated and refined for over 30 years (1931–1964), creating global consistency.

The result was historic: Christmas ceased to be a problem and became one of the most valuable periods for the brand, helping to transform Coca-Cola into one of the most recognized symbols on the planet.

The economic impact of this turnaround was gigantic.
In 1930, Coca-Cola had a revenue of around US$50 million/year and was predominantly American.

Throughout the 20th century, with Christmas as a global narrative pillar, the brand expanded to more than 200 countries.

Today, annual revenue is around US$45 billion, and Christmas is one of the most strategic periods for brand reinforcement and consumption.

This same mechanism didn't remain in the 20th century.

Big Tech, AI, and crypto work the same way:

strong narratives create adoption, attract capital, and shape behavior even before the product is mature.

Those who understand narrative cycles understand why certain assets explode in value while others remain invisible.

Wishing everyone at SN a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year! 🎄✨