The commercialization of the Santa Claus concept
is something, which is very common nowadays. The Globalization of
red and white American Santa was done mainly by Coca-Cola, a soft
drinks company struggling to sell cold drinks in the winter season,
the company wanted to figure out a way to associate the product with
the holiday season, and the spirit of the holiday was really Santa
Claus, and Santa Claus had this enormous task facing him every
Christmas Eve and that was to go around the world, in an evening,
distributing, gifts to children everywhere and obviously he would,
you know, get tired and he would get thirsty and he would need some
refreshment, so what better idea than to have Santa pausing in his
rounds in various scenes enjoying a Coca Cola?
Coke's concept of Santa Claus really became American Santa Claus
and in real terms the global Santa Claus, because his
characterization of Santa Claus was the one that people saw over
thirty years. He came into their homes, he became a part of their
daily lives and so, in a very real sense, here is imagery created
for a commercial product that has now become a part of popular
culture. In Britain also the concept of Santa Claus became popular
with the commercialization of his image. Today the concept of Santa
Claus is not only limited to saint Nicholas but his image has been
used to sell products specially during the festive season. The
impulse behind modern Christmas is undoubtedly primarily commercial.
It is a money-raking season. Gift giving has now become a part of
Christmas culture and more because of the concept of
commercialization of the festival but still the reason behind its
celebration is still not lost.
