Haddon Sundblom

Haddon Sundblom, Haddon Hubbard also "Sunny" Sundblom ( born June 22, 1899 in Muskegon / Michigan, † March 10, 1976 in Chicago ) was an American graphic designer and cartoonist. He was known primarily for his images of Santa Claus he created for The Coca -Cola Company.

Origin

Sundblom grew up in a Swedish -speaking family. His father, Karl Wilhelm Sundblom, came from Föglö, a village on the Swedish- speaking Åland Islands (at the time part of the Russian Grand Duchy of Finland Finland now ), his mother Karin Andersson from Sweden. Sundblom studied at the American Academy of Art

The Coca -Cola Santa Claus

In the 1920s, the appearance of Santa Claus in the U.S. unified more and more with a red and white robe, hat and white beard. This image was taken up by Haddon Sundblom, who for the Coca -Cola Company recorded as part of a campaign to Santa Claus 1931; claims to be in the shape and appearance of his friend and older Coca -Cola delivery driver Lou Prentiss. After his death Sundblom to paint copies have his own face in a mirror. The commercial was so successful that this appearance of Santa Claus mistakenly Coca -Cola is attributed. Until 1964 he recorded every year at least a Santa Claus for the Coca - Cola advertising and coined as sustainable the idea of ​​the "modern" Santa Claus.

Further work

As part of its activities in the advertising business he created, among other illustrations for Colgate -Palmolive, Nabisco, Packard, Buick and Pierce -Arrow. Also the design of the " Quaker Man" for Quaker Oats comes from Sundblom. For Coca -Cola, he also designed the mascot Sprite Boy, which appeared in print ads in the 1940s and 1950s. In the mid-1930s he began painting pin-ups for calendars. Sundblom had great influence on many well-known artists such as Gil Elvgren. Sundbloms last published work was in 1972 on the cover image for the Playboy Christmas issue.