Coca-COla | The Black Santa

The brand that introduced Santa Claus reimagined Santa Claus.

The Writer

Person standing in front of a screen displaying text 'Juntos a magia acontece' with 'avant première' logo. The room has red lighting, two red chairs, and potted plants.

Cleissa Regina Martins, the writer, had previously participated in a program to develop narratives related to black culture. We invited her to write a script in partnership with TV Globo, based on the soap opera style that Brazilians love.

The Story

Child with Santa Claus holding a gift in a festive setting.

The story presents an unemployed grandfather looking for a job to help his family. He applies for playing the role of Santa Claus but is rejected because of his skin color. In the end, he manages to be the Santa of Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tours.

A series of holiday-themed images: an elderly person with Christmas lights, a girl near a decorated tree, an elderly person holding a stocking, a child writing a letter, and an elderly person in a Santa hat.

The Conversation

Social media post by Coca-Cola featuring a Santa Claus with glasses and a diverse portrayal, alongside user comments reacting to the post.

The story was expanded on social networks and gave opportunity to people jump in the conversation. Press and media also talked about the initiative.

The Truck Tours

Aerial view of a lit-up parade on a city street at night, featuring illuminated trucks and cars, with decorated buildings and crowds lining the sidewalk.

The campaign invited several black actors to play Santa Claus in traditional Coca-Cola Christmas Truck Tours, visiting several cities across the country.

Series of images showing a Christmas parade with illuminated trucks, people celebrating, and Santa Claus interacting with the crowd at night.

The Results

  • #1 Trending Topic on Twitter

  • More than 15 million people watched the show on TV

  • 66% increase on TV ratings

  • More than 5 millions impressions on digital

A project made in partnership with Globo.
Created with Ricardo Weitsman, Bruno Mukai, Alexandre “Xela” Oliveira, Gabriel Gil, Felipe Gomes, André Marques and Hugo Rodrigues.