Every December, we slip into a ritual that feels timeless: trees, twinkling lights, gift lists, Santa sightings, the first sip from a red cup. But much of what we call “tradition” didn’t simply endure; it was engineered—crafted, scaled, and lovingly repeated by marketers who understood the power of story, symbol, and scarcity. Christmas is the masterclass where branding, culture, and commerce became inseparable.
The modern Christmas coalesced in Victorian Britain: a family-centered celebration of generosity and togetherness, popularized by Charles Dickens and amplified by mass media of the day. The imagery—trees, gatherings, gifts—moved from pulpits and parlors onto pages and posters, forming a shared visual script for how to celebrate. Advertising didn’t just reflect those rituals; it standardized them.
By the early 20th century, radio and then television took the handoff, turning “holiday spirit” into an annual media event. As one historian observes, mass advertising didn’t merely join Christmas—it “defined Christmas itself,” linking the act of giving with branded products and the idea that love could be expressed through what we place under the tree (PBS NewsHour).
The Santa everyone knows—and why he sticks
Santa Claus existed long before ad agencies. But the Santa we picture—jolly, red-suited, rosy-cheeked—was consolidated through Coca-Cola’s decades-long creative platform, beginning with Haddon Sundblom’s illustrations in the 1930s. Important nuance: Coca-Cola didn’t invent Santa; it cemented a consistent, warm, humanized version and then exported it globally through disciplined repetition and storytelling (Marketing Made Clear). That’s how an image becomes infrastructure.
The playbook kept expanding. Montgomery Ward’s 1939 in-store promotion by copywriter Robert May gave us Rudolph, a retail-origin character who transcended format to become a children’s staple once the song hit big. Hallmark helped scale the Christmas card from personal custom to mass ritual. Even seasonal packaging—think Hershey’s red-and-green foils—turned commodities into signals of arrival. When Starbucks’ red cup returns each year, it’s not just a container; it’s a calendar flip and a social cue (Global Brands Magazine).
Globalization, adaptation, and the new Christmas
As brands carried this aesthetic and narrative into new markets, local cultures responded in two ways: they embraced the shared visual language—and they remixed it. The result is a global Christmas that’s both standardized and hybridized: Coca-Cola trucks and Rudolph in one frame, regional foods, music, and family conventions in the next. In recent years, mainstream campaigns have moved decisively toward inclusion, portraying diverse “chosen families,” secular celebrations, and values-forward storytelling that resonates beyond religious identity (PBS NewsHour; Marketing Made Clear).
The commerce engine—and its critiques
Let’s name the economic gravity. Holiday shopping has become the fiscal peak of the retail year, framed by scarcity mechanics (limited editions, gift bundles) and urgency tentpoles (Black Friday, Cyber Monday). Nostalgia drives headline creative; performance tactics quietly do the harvesting.
But the debates are real: commercialization vs. meaning, waste vs. wonder, inclusivity vs. tokenism. Modern campaigns answer with a more grounded tone—sustainability pledges, community giving, accurate representation, and proof over platitudes. As the PBS analysis suggests, Christmas has increasingly shifted from religious ritual to cultural gathering—something many welcome, and business arguably welcomes most of all.
What works now: nostalgia with new edges
There’s a reason “Holidays Are Coming” still gives people goosebumps: ritual and repetition build memory. The opportunity for 2026 is to keep the ritual, refresh the relevance.
- Anchor in one unmistakable asset: a sonic logo, character, or signature visual that returns each year with a new chapter.
- Tell human stories that reflect how people actually gather today—multigenerational, multicultural, sometimes secular, always meaningful.
- Pair heritage with proof: measurable community investment, sustainability receipts, and transparent supply efforts earn trust without dampening magic.
- Design “moments of keeping”—cards, packaging, limited-edition items that feel collectible and extend the story beyond the screen.
The real magic: rituals we choose to keep
The brilliance of holiday marketing isn’t that it sold us something. It gave us something to gather around—a shared set of cues that make time feel different. When brands get it right, they amplify what’s already there: generosity, connection, the small moments that become our private definitions of home.
In an age of endless feed, that’s the rarest gift of all: coherence, year after year.
Sources
- PBS NewsHour — “How advertising has shaped Christmas over the years”
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/how-advertising-has-shaped-christmas-over-the-years - Global Brands Magazine — “The Marketing Magic Behind Christmas Traditions We Love”
https://www.globalbrandsmagazine.com/marketing-magic-christmas-traditions/ - Purple Rose Graphics — “The History of Christmas Advertising”
https://www.purplerosegraphics.com/the-history-of-christmas-advertising/ - Marketing Made Clear — “The Globalisation of Christmas”
https://marketingmadeclear.com/globalisation-of-christmas/
