Why Is Santa Claus Always Dressed In Red? It Was Never Tradition But An Iconic Marketing Move

Red Santa Claus:  People mostly associate Christmas with Santa Claus and his red suit, but surprisingly, it is not traditional or historic; the red-colour Santa Claus is a brilliant marketing success of the 20th century. Not folklore, but the corporate genius decided the red appearance of the jolly elf’s look globally. The early figures of Santa were based on St. Nicholas, a 4th-century bishop wearing different robes of green, blue or sometimes yellow. The changes in literature and art illustrated different Santas, but there was no single red Santa until the contemporary advertisements.

Pre-marketing chaos took place in the 19th century, where pictures by Thomas Nast depicted Santa wearing tan, green, or purple suits, and some of them were also red, but no standardisation. Folklore like Dutch Sinterklaas or Germanic characters did not have a red monopoly, but mixed colours. However, later, the game-changing campaign at Coca-Cola changed everything for the future.

Why Santa Wears Red (Image Credit: Canva)

During the great depression, Coca-Cola employed artist Haddon Sundblom to give a boost to its sales in 1931. He created a cosy, red-suited Santa to showcase that ‘Coke is for every season’ and in an advertisement, Santa was drinking Coke. This branding of Coke, which was vibrant, celebratory and memorable, became global. In 1931, Sundblom introduced Santa in Harper, magazine with ties red to Coke bottles so that no one could guess who he was.

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 Why Santa Wears Red (Image Credit: Canva)

Then onwards, till 1964, almost 50 illustrations standardised, plump and rosy-cheeked Santa around the globe, which influenced Toys, films, malls, everywhere the Santa Claus image was globally influenced, and that is how red became the colour of Santa by mid-century.

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Red grabs the eye in snow, brings joy and need, which are all perfect for consumerism. Coke did not create Santa; instead, it enhanced and owned his image and made it a sales icon. 90 per cent of Santas in the world today wear red, and mind you, it is not because of tradition, but due to the power of right branding. Today, the red suit of Santa sells more than gifts.