Everyone knows the feeling of receiving an impersonal Christmas gift. And like gift giving, seasonal branding lands better when done thoughtfully. The hollow gesture wrapped in cheap Christmas paper will not be remembered – just as the touching and timeless gifts are never forgotten.

For as long as brands have been around, they’ve tried in some way or another to appropriate Christmas cheer along with the willingness to spend. Before the iconic Coca-Cola campaigns of the 1930s, Santa was a thinner, more pope-like version of himself (more like Sinterklaas). Legend has it that Santa Clause received a red, white and jolly makeover to align with the Coca-Cola’s look.

Could Coca-Cola have done more? Perhaps. They may have set the new tone of Christmas, but other brands have overtaken.