Vintage Santa Ads

Yep, Santa used to push smokes. These vintage ads show the jolly guy smiling with a Lucky Strike or a Camel pack—proof that brand mascots can shift wildly with the times.

What’s Going On Here

Marketers tapped into Santa’s massive trust factor. If “the spirit of Christmas” handed you a product, it instantly felt gift-worthy, friendly, and safe—even if it wasn’t.

Why It Works

• Uses borrowed trust from a beloved icon
• Wraps a product in emotion and tradition
• Merges habit marketing (smoking) with a positive life moment (Christmas)
• Creates social proof by implying everyone—including Santa—is doing it

Modern Parallels

• Coca-Cola still owns the Santa image 100 years later
• M&M’s holiday ads play the same emotional card
• Starbucks’ red cups cue that “holiday feeling” every November
• Apple’s Christmas spots link tech with emotion, not features