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100 years of the Coca-Cola magic of Christmas
November 25, 2020

100 years of the Coca-Cola magic of Christmas

The new Coca-Cola holiday commercial directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Taika Waititi is on Croatian television channels.

The new Coca-Cola Christmas commercial titled ‘The letter’, which was directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Taika Waititi, has been positively received worldwide and on Croatian TV channels.

In this emotional tale about a father’s unremitting love for his daughter and his journey to make her Christmas wish come true, Coca-Cola is not only announcing the upcoming holidays but also celebrating 100 years of its iconic holidays commercials. The message behind the new Coca-Cola holiday commercial and campaign is: “This Christmas, give something only you can give – yourself”.

Vinko Kovačić, Communications manager at Coca-Cola said: “Coca-Cola’s association with Christmas is special and we are immensely proud of the brand’s strong heritage and tradition at this time of year. We hope that our new Christmas campaign featuring our iconic and well-loved Santa image will bring joy and festive spirits at the end of what has been a very difficult year for so many people around the world. The message of the campaign is about cherishing and being present with those we love, both virtually or physically. The best gift you can give anyone at Christmas, and indeed, at any time of year is the gift of YOU.”

The arrival of the Christmas truck, the song “Holidays are coming” and the iconic polar bear commercial are only a part of the unforgettable Christmas moments we have had a chance to see on TV during the last few decades. An essential part of this long tradition filled with hope and the magic of Christmas is Coca-Cola’s Santa.

Although we all know what he looks like, having been presented to the public almost 90 years ago, few know the following information:

  1. Haddon Sundblom, the artist who created the Coca-Cola Santa, initially modelled Santa's smiling face after the cheerful, somewhat wrinkled features of a friend, retired salesman Lou Prentiss. After Prentiss passed away, Sundblom began modelling Santa after himself.
  2. The phenomenon of Coca-Cola Christmas commercials, brought Sundblom’s Santa paintings to several prestigious museums including the Louvre in Paris, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
  3. Sunblom’s Santa not only ushered in the holiday season for consumers around the globe, his toys reflected the current gift trends of the time. In early advertising, Santa is leaving behind wooden toys and dolls and by the end of the 30 years, Santa is playing with an electric train set and helicopter. Even during World War II, Santa carried War Bonds in support of the War effort in is sack.

As a special gift, Coca Cola's Christmas calendar this December brings magical surprises that users can share every day until December 31. All those who visit https://www.coca-cola.hr/carolijapocinjekadsitu on December 1 can find out what's behind the first doors.

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