Given the iconic Coca-Cola advertisements with Santa Claus, some even dared to ask if the carbonated soft drink company invented his legend. Probably not, though it’s been quite a long time since we associated them around this time of the year.
According to Coca-Cola, they did not invent Santa Claus. On the other hand, their advertisements played an important role in shaping it as the jolly character we come to know and love today. Everything started back in 1931 when the brand’s marketing department decided to set itself apart from the crop of different Santa Claus depictions.
Imagine that some of them were even scary! Anyway, that year Coca-Cola's head honchos commissioned famous artist Haddon Hubbard “Sunny” Sundblom. He created a “warm, happy character with human features, including rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes, and laughter lines.” Apparently, he used a friend as the template, as well as the well-known “Twas the Night Before Christmas” 1822 poem by Clement Clark Moore.
Now, it’s been quite a modern tradition for advertisements with huge Coca-Cola trucks to feature Santa Claus in a little story as a way of kicking off the Christmas season. On the other hand, virtual artists like rob3rtdesign also seem to want a piece of the action. Not with Santa Claus, but with Coca-Cola, and possibly give the jolly old man a digital reason to give up his flying reindeer sled in exchange for a little Volkswagen Fox. Quite wishful thinking, right?
Well, maybe not all year round. Just for the Christmas club afterparty, perhaps. After all, he’s probably not going to drink alcohol and drive. But he might need some extra space for all the bottles with his soft beverage of choice. So, this little Brazilian-built VW Parati (the name of the three-door Fox station wagon in certain markets) might do the trick. Especially since we are dealing with a six-wheel rig.
Sure, it’s not a 6x6, just a regular Volkswagen. And a matching half doubling for trailer duty. While it may forever remain just a dream, the idea is not at all outrageous. After all, we should remember that one of the coolest rides we uncovered this past summer for our “road trip 21” special feature was an Acura NSX... and a matching half-NSX camper!
Imagine that some of them were even scary! Anyway, that year Coca-Cola's head honchos commissioned famous artist Haddon Hubbard “Sunny” Sundblom. He created a “warm, happy character with human features, including rosy cheeks, a white beard, twinkling eyes, and laughter lines.” Apparently, he used a friend as the template, as well as the well-known “Twas the Night Before Christmas” 1822 poem by Clement Clark Moore.
Now, it’s been quite a modern tradition for advertisements with huge Coca-Cola trucks to feature Santa Claus in a little story as a way of kicking off the Christmas season. On the other hand, virtual artists like rob3rtdesign also seem to want a piece of the action. Not with Santa Claus, but with Coca-Cola, and possibly give the jolly old man a digital reason to give up his flying reindeer sled in exchange for a little Volkswagen Fox. Quite wishful thinking, right?
Well, maybe not all year round. Just for the Christmas club afterparty, perhaps. After all, he’s probably not going to drink alcohol and drive. But he might need some extra space for all the bottles with his soft beverage of choice. So, this little Brazilian-built VW Parati (the name of the three-door Fox station wagon in certain markets) might do the trick. Especially since we are dealing with a six-wheel rig.
Sure, it’s not a 6x6, just a regular Volkswagen. And a matching half doubling for trailer duty. While it may forever remain just a dream, the idea is not at all outrageous. After all, we should remember that one of the coolest rides we uncovered this past summer for our “road trip 21” special feature was an Acura NSX... and a matching half-NSX camper!