Santa's Red Coke

I was watching some French TV channel yesterday and there was a trivia question about the origin of Santa's red colour. I wondered for a while whether it was the same as for poinsiettas and robin redbreasts - the blood of Christ. Apparently not. The answer was that Coca Cola in its early pioneering marketing days had commissioned a Santa design to sell its product and the resultant design created the Santa Claus (or Krissmiss Fader) we see today.

Or not. As in, I do remember reading about this many times. The Coke Santa myth has been uttered time and again and has become a sort of received wisdom to repeat at every Christmas party when all other subjects have been exhausted. This site claims that it is an urban legend and provides some comforting evidence that shows that this worldwide tradition (including Australia's surfing Santa) is not due to the Atlanta based magnates. I'd like to believe it's true. I'd like to have less dependence on opinon forming marketing and let free will and imagination reign supreme. I'd like to be set free of advertising cliches.

I'd like to teach the world to sing.... in perfect harmony....

Always...