Santa Claus: “Ho, ho, ho!” or “Yo!”

The iconic imagery associated with ‘Twas the night before Christmas is evolving from the 1931 classic depiction of Santa Claus to a contemporary vision that may or may not resonate with everyone. I grew up with the jolly character created by Haddon Sunbloom in 1931 for Coca Cola. Traditional photo of Santa(see video) He firmly established the larger-than-life, grandfatherly Claus into a key figure in American Christmas imagery that has remained relatively unchanged for 85 years. Maybe I’m too nostalgic to embrace, or even condone, the movement to modernize good old Saint Nick!

However it would seem that the millennials have prompted many brands to give Santa a make-over from what they see as overweight stodginess.Millennial Santa (see video) As I look around my home’s seasonal decor I admire my collection of whimsical Santa Clauses that fuel my imagination and prompt childhood memories. Will the new handsomely coiffed Santa be recreated in decorations? Maybe he’ll be added to the Mattel collection of dolls? What about Mrs Claus? Is there one?

Haddon Sunbloom’s wonderful character has been synonymous with what we consider Santa to look like for so long. Rebranding must always be carefully addressed to meet the needs of the target audience—a group in which I’m not a primary player at this stage. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out over the next few years. Will the Christmas parade continue to have a sleigh carrying Santa or will a Santa riding a motorcycle be more fitting? Modern Santa on motorcycleWill the children visiting Santa in the mall see a consistent looking Santa with an athletic build and his own well-trimmed beard? What will the Salvation Army Santa’s abandon their ‘traditional attire’. The big question is will the modernization dilute Santa’s brand to the point he’s no longer iconic—a change that’s naughty or nice?