Weirdly Hot Santa

Every generation gets its own cultural cliches.

Let’s start today's newsletter with a bit of fun history about how the idea of Santa Claus has evolved over the years:

Did you know that the legend of Santa Claus was originally based on a real-life person? St. Nicholas of Myra was an early Christian bishop, nearly 1,700 years ago. Supposedly he was well-known in his day for giving generous gifts, so you can sort of imagine how that developed. (He’s also the patron saint of children, sailors, and Greece.)

How about the way Americans think of Santa Claus — a big jolly, guy with a white beard and a bag full of toys? That dates back to 1823. A New York newspaper published a poem by an anonymous writer that began, “‘Twas the night before Christmas …” and described “St. Nick” head to toe. (There’s a big debate about who the author really was; find more here.)

Oh, and here’s a serendipitous one: In 1955, a Colorado newspaper ran an ad encouraging children to call Santa on a special phone number; only they got the number wrong. Result: hundreds of little kids called a hotline for the U.S. Continental Air Defense Command. The military ultimately embraced the joke, which is why even today they run a “NORAD Santa Tracker” for kids on Christmas Eve.

See? Maybe now you’ve got a few ice-breakers to use at your next holiday party.

But probably more important for this newsletter, we also have the kind of context we need as we look at how — and why — Target put a new spin on the old idea of Santa Claus in its ad campaign this year, and why it might actually work.

Target actually has two big ad campaigns this year.

The first is a pretty traditional campaign called “Happier Holidays from Target,” in which a mother and child walk through a Target store that “transforms into a magical world conjuring the emotional connection of shopping for loved ones during the season,” as Adweek put it.

https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/target-kris-a-modern-santa/

The second ad campaign is the one we care about more, however. It’s the one in which Target re-imagines Santa. Starting this week, it’s called “Kris From Target.”

This campaign is about a good-looking guy with a slightly white beard and a Target-red sweater (some editors I work with thought he looked like Mr. Autumn Man, if you know that meme), complete with a Target name tag that reads “Kris K.”

He drives a vintage red Ford Bronco with the roof chopped off, and he apparently roams the aisles at Target, pointing out deals and assisting customers.

This is not your father’s Santa Claus; instead, he’s clearly full of changes designed to appeal to what analytics firm Numerator says is the typical Target shopper: a white suburban mother with a bachelor’s degree (or at least some college), and an annual household income (at least in 2021) of about $80,000.

As a woman who is basically the walking incarnation of that demographic puts it in one of the ads (there apparently will be nine in total), the shocking part isn’t just running into Santa Claus in a Target; it’s that — and I think this is key — he’s “weirdly hot.”

This Target-infused Kris Kringle is supposed to be: “joyful, helpful, optimistic – characteristics that embody the brand,” along with a “witty edge” and “roguishly handsome” looks, Target’s chief marketing officer, Lisa Roath told Adweek, adding:

“He represents our incredible team members, who are the heroes during the holidays and beyond …

We want to play into cultural moments but also create our own. Guests expect Target to be in those moments.”

Look, sometimes brands can come up with a new mascot or ad character and find that they’ve created an icon; more often, they hope their marketing helps achieve their goals, but everyone moves on and nobody remembers.

Other times? They disappear into obscurity.

Just don't get me started on the origins of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

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7 other things

• A driver rammed a car into a Christmas market in the eastern German town of Magdeburg, leaving at least two dead and more than 60 wounded. Details suggested a complicated picture of [an attacker]: a Saudi immmigrant who was deeply critical of Islam, who felt persecuted by German authorities, and who endorsed Germany's far-right AfD party. (WSJ; Times of Israel)

• It has been an extraordinary year for America’s richest billionaires. The US economy has grown by around 3 per cent in 2024, but their fortunes have shot up by far more than that. Together, the 10 top entrants made almost as much as the US government spends on defense each year ($850bn). At #1 on the list is Elon Musk, whose wealth increased by $252 billion in 2024. (The Daily Beast)

• For Many People in This Small Town, Deportations Can’t Come Soon Enough: In Seymour, Ind., immigration became a focal point in 2024. Some residents hope 2025 brings changes. (WSJ)

• As Donald Trump promises to deport migrants en masse from the US, and to target Haitians on temporary visas specifically, the 11.3 million-population Dominican Republic provides a glimpse of what that might look like. Haitians are being picked up on their way to school, hauled off buses and snatched from their workplaces in what has emerged as the largest deportation program per capita in the hemisphere. From October through Dec. 10, at least 78,151 people were expelled; the per capita equivalent of the U.S. deporting 2.3 million people, roughly, the entire population of Houston. (Bloomberg)

• The Teamsters union announced that warehouse workers at a massive Amazon sorting and distribution center in Staten Island, New York, have joined the thousands of union members who began a strike this week against the online retail giant. Amazon continues to insist the strike is not affecting shipments to customers. (CNN)

• ‘We Can Bury Anyone’: Inside a Hollywood Smear Machine: Private messages detail an alleged campaign to tarnish Blake Lively after she accused Justin Baldoni of misconduct on the set of “It Ends With Us.” (NY Times)

• OK, because I brought it up: What’s the story behind Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer? Here's the whole thing. (Dig)

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Thanks for reading. Photo by Sinitta Leunen on Unsplash. I wrote about some of this Inc.com. See you in the comments!