Coca-Cola is seen to have invented what Santa Claus is today - mainly through helping to change public consciousness of him. They did so initially through Haddon Sundblom’s depiction of him for The Coca-Cola Company’s Christmas advertising in the 1930s[1][2][3] & he is constantly used in their campaigns at Christmas.

My friends etc always say "It's not Christmas until you see the Coke ad" in reference to the build up to Christmas.

However, they weren't the first company to do so as in 1915 and 1923, White Rock Beverages used a today's version of Santa (Red & White) to sell mineral water and ginger ale respectively.[4]

[1] http://www.coca-colacompany.com/topics/heritage

[2] http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/coke-ads-1930s/3#ad5w0neuut0...

[3] http://www.vintageadbrowser.com/coke-ads-1930s/3#aduieywoavp...

[4] http://www.bevnet.com/news/2006/12-18-2006-white_rock_coke_s...

Urban Myth.

Santa already had a red coat with white trimming - at some unspecified point in the past he did have a green coat.

Coke took an already-popular meme with no trademark and co-opted it for their own marketing, popularising it even further. The expansion of the Coke-themed Santa led to the belief that they invented it.

Something to absorb for those who are trying to work out how to market things.

I know all this because up until 10 days ago I also thought that Coke invented Santa, until I realised I should fact-check that, and found out I was wrong.

No, they didn't. I am on an android and having trouble searching. But they apparently popularized a particular image of Santa. Off the top of my head, Santa is originally based on a real person but the modern image doesn't much resemble Saint Nicholas of actual history. Modern commercialization has had a huge impact on Christmas and pushed gift giving over more traditional spiritual celebrations and, iirc, modern commerce invented Rudolph the red nosed reindeer (though I think it was a different company, not coke).

Google it yourself. You probably are in a better position to verify it than I am, with my wonky android browser freezing up and saying "bite me, bitch" on a regular basis.

Can't we go back to calling him Father Christmas?