Coca-Cola
In 1931, Coca-Cola commissioned artist Haddon Sundblom to illustrate a new Christmas advertisement featuring Santa Claus.
Sundblom took inspiration from the poem T’was the Night Before Christmas by Thomas Nast to design a Santa Claus that aligned with Coca-Cola’s branding.
Similar to Nast’s version of Santa, the Coca-Cola Santa Claus boasted a big white beard, a red suit and a jolly disposition. This imagery stirred a sense of magic and nostalgia that captivated consumers.
The soda empire consistently produced cheerful, warm and cozy Christmas advertising over time.
Wisely, Coca-Cola inserted itself into holiday traditions by inspiring families to set out bottles of the popular pop for Santa instead of milk and cookies.
The sensory and aesthetic value of their ads established Coca-Cola as a Christmas company in the North American cultural consciousness.
Despite receiving heavy backlash for recent AI-generated holiday ads, Coca-Cola holds strong as a King of Christmas.
Starbucks
Move over Pumpkin Spice Lattes, it’s Christmas cup season at Starbucks.
Every year, the coffee giant captures the hearts and wallets of billions of customers with its trademark festive beverages during the holidays.
And of course, their festive cups, both reusable and disposable, only add to the craze — especially because Starbucks releases fresh designs every year.
Red Cup Day is a celebrated holiday for Starbucks fans. Customers eagerly wait in long lines to receive a limited-edition reusable cup with their purchase. In 2025, Red Cup Day was on November 13th. North American stores saw a 44.5% surge in traffic.
This year, Starbucks customers were also pleasantly surprised to see the return of the classic Eggnog latte. The popular drink was absent from the menu for the last four years.
Underneath the cutesy Christmas designs and decadent drinks, Starbucks remains a controversial figure for its antagonism towards unions. Ironically, Red Cup Day coincided with a union strike.
Raised eyebrows or not, Starbucks remains a powerful symbol of North American culture, lifestyle and Christmas indulgence.
Hallmark
Hallmark sells cookie cutters and cookie-cutter Christmas movies that the world is smitten with.
Hallmark has developed the perfect recipe for wholesomely cheesy holiday films that hit home with audiences.
Their charisma and charm are a reprieve from the intensity of the news and current events.
Cleverly, the greeting card company has leaned into the simplistic repetitiveness of its films. The movie covers are rarely without a couple wearing red or green. People love it or love to hate it.
Hallmark movies offer a lighthearted Christmas tradition people look forward to, whether for a solo night in or for a festive group viewing party.
The Hallmark Channel generates 1/3 of its annual ad revenue from Christmas movies alone — roughly $350 million.
Christmas company royalty
Obviously, many more companies from around the world are iconically Christmas. Which brands are a traditional part of your holiday celebrations? Let us know in the comments!
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