Anti-Santa

How it all began

(Article published in Strategie, No. 42 dated 16.10. 06)
Because we're advertising copywriters, we first of all aimed at our own, and wrote an article for Stratege Magazine (and are grateful for its publication).

Santa go home!

What do I have against that jolly chap in red? It's true that already earlier he annoyed me a tad...But then something happned that really pevved me:

My three year old daughter got a merry fold-out book for Christmas, called Christmas With A Snowman. I've got nothing against snowmen, so we were both looking forward to looking through it before going to sleep. In the beginning the story looked promising: While waiting for Baby Jesus, Tomas and Jana built a snowman. But then they had to go home - it's Christmas, after all, and the carp is almost on the table... The solitary snowman suddenly and without explanation comes to life and begins thinking about what he hears: "...is it the jingling of Christmas bells?" Up to here all is OK, but then, on Page 8, comes a shock (well, pardon me, comes Baby Jesus). I quote: "Peering across the wall into the garden were two reindeer, and their sleigh bells were jingling merrily. Baby Jesus is here!" exclaimed the snowman happily, and all the birdies began singing. Ho! Ho! Ho!" called out Baby Jesus in a merry Christmas mood, here's the most beautiful snowman I've seen all year." And look our for the visuals. All right, deliberately, can you guess what Baby Jesus looks like? Like a merry bearded gentleman, who evidently isn't worried about being overweight (he probably drinks only cola :-). And in a red and white suit!

And how does it continue?" Thank you for stopping by," says the snowman. The elves (where did they suddenly appear from?!) began decorating the oak tree and the whhole garden with Christmas bells and ribbons. (Another picture of Santa, excuse me, Baby Jesus, this time with a sack). "Finished", says Baby Jesus, "have a beautiful Christmas Eve and lots of fun!" (So, Santa, is it Christmas Eve, or Christmas Morning?)

I'm a copywriter, so I usually don't have a problem convincing people, but this is too much even for me! I can still manage to explain to little Kristyna that these gentlemen have it subdivided by region, that here Baby Jesus brings presents, and children in America get them from Santa Claus. But I simple can't explain this type of mutant: Dad, that swollen man is Baby Jesus? And why is he saying: Ho! Ho! Ho! ? (I really have not clue :-). And who are the reindeer?? Well, what would you say to that?

In my righteous anger, I decided that it's time to do something about this. As if it wasn't enough that before Christmas there's a Santa jiggling around in every second shop window, to top it all off, made in China... That stationery shops are selling red paper caps.... And ? my god, how deeply we've sunk! - that Santa even also appears in print and TV ads! After all, my fellow colleagues, aren't we capable of coming up with anything better? Yuck!
And because I'm a member of the a trade association named CCC (Creative Copywriters Club), at our meeting I brought forth a proposal that we should prepare and Anti-Santa campaign. The proposal was adopted. We're working on it. So for those of you that are on the other hand preparing a campaign featuring a red hat, I've got a message: That's not exactly the best idea! Ho! Ho! Ho!

David König, freelance copywriter
(davidkonig@seznam.cz)
member of CCC: - Creative Copywriters Club

P.S. If someone wants to see what I'm talking about for themselves, just do a web search on "vanoce se snehulakem", and you'll get links to several internet shops where you can order this cultural treasure.

The rise and fall of Santa Claus

Santa's ascent in the Czech Republic has parallels in that of Hitler. After decades of Communism, all traditional values here were subverted precisely like in Germany after World War I and the Great Depression. The arrival of a strong personality that once again established order evoked relief among the masses. Finally, someone we can depend on. From his imaginary lectern, Santa thundered: "From now on, I'll arrange a beautiful Christmas for you all!" One advantage that alwas was and will be is the fact that as a symbol of Czech Christmas, Baby Jesus can't be pasted on a billboard, animated on TV or painted on a display window. How, after all? As a little boy in a manger? A logo with a crown of thorns? A winged man? That's why here Santa quckly gained ground. He gave away Coca Cola from a truck, brought gifts from Home Credit, in a female version stopped time for Eurotel, etc. etc.

Together with several sponsors and public associations, we in the CCC decided to publicly point out how ridiculous it is to have Santa as Baby Jesus (when we excuse the fact that Santa Claus, so therefore Saint Nicholas, is acutally Mikolas). After discussing it, we in the copywriter's club first of all rejected the route of replacing Santa with a "proper" Baby Jesus, like the organizers of the "Czech draws Baby Jesus" initiative are trying. Baby Jesus is unique in each one of us, and any material likeness whatsoever will not be accepted by the nation as a sufficient substitute for the good-natured red Santa.

In our part of the world, the symbol of Baby Jesus has, whether we like it or not, a strong spiritual significance and its own history. Every citizen of average intellingence is capable of describing his birth and death. What's more, in recent times he's been popularized by works such as The Last Temptation of Christ, Jesus Christ Superstar or The Passion of the Christ.

Simply put, Baby Jesus is a concept, and Santa Claus has no business being here on December 24. Unless, like a cuckoo, he got into someone else's nest through some trick. Absurd! And that's what our future campaign is about.

Petr Vlasak, CCC member

With Santa, we've gotten what we asked for; after all, Baby Jesus never gave anyone things

My colleagues and I led a long debate about how far we should take our activities, what goals to set. Personally, I was against creating new Christmas icons, or even just an impetus for their creation. What if we were by chance successful? We'll create a design manual, go to the Patent and Trademark Office, and like Coca-Cola, brand a ® symbol on Baby Jesus' forehead. If not, will we in a year be arguing with O2 or Home Credit for example, when they register him?

Christmas should be a festive, intimate affair. When I want to have a nice Christmas at home with my children, I don't need any specific visual. Thus the visualization of Baby Jesus is purely a marketing problem, which I personally refuse to worry about, and not because I'm a copywriter. But like my colleagues in the CCC, I protest if someone forces his imported implant in a red suit on me while I'm at my Christmas Eve supper table.

Even without a deeper analysis of Christian roots, we will probably agree that Santa's temporary residence in our territory is something that we asked for a bit. After all, Baby Jesus never gave anyone things... that is, at least not some sort of box tied in golden ribbons. On the contrary, he was the one that received gifts on the day he was born. According to traditions, people inspired by this context bring gifts to those closest to them. Thus the statement "this is from Baby Jesus" is a twisting of this context. But that's only a slight, harmless correction to support children's fantasies, and as such is tolerated. But it must not become an excuse for marketing heretics for another crucifiction of Baby Jesus and the importation of Santa.

Petr Voborský, CCC president.