The Coca-Cola Christmas ad doesn’t always stand out in the pack, but this year’s does. OK, it follows this year’s Christmas ad theme of kindness (Is there a secret theme list for agencies and brands each year?) but The World Needs More Santas is an inventive expression of it, infused with a subtle touch of pre-Christmas reality – the profusion of Santas who appear in December.
The idea is that the spirit of Santa Claus exists in all of us. Santa Claus is as a symbol of kindness, generosity, and goodwill and the world always has and sadly always will need that symbol as a reminder. Santa has featured in Coca-Cola Christmas ads since the 1920s. Originals of Haddon Sundblom’s commissioned Coca-Cola Santas are even held in art galleries throughout the world.
Kindness is one of the brand’s core values, according to Islam ElDessouky, trademark Coca-Cola global creative, strategy and content lead. That boast seems not to be entirely convenient. In 2013, Coca-Cola launched a campaign called Kindness goes Viral by Ogilvy & Mather Brazil developed from security footage capturing people doing nice things for each other.
One of Coca-Cola’s most popular commercials is Wonderful Dream (Holidays are Coming), that aired in 1995 and ties in with the annual Coca-Cola Christmas truck tour.
This year both Holidays are Coming and The World Needs More Santas will play in the UK.
