As you probably know, content marketing isn’t just text-based content.
Content marketing can be images, video, audio, and much more. Keep that in mind as I reveal another interesting Christmas content marketing lesson.
Thomas Nast – The Man Who Created the Modern Image of Santa
Thomas Nast was a staff illustrator for Harper’s Weekly, which at the time was one of the most popular magazines around.
Santa first appeared in the January 2, 1863 issue of Harper’s Weekly. His outfit was an American flag. And, get this, he had a puppet with the name “Jeff” written on it.
Who was Jeff? Jeff was short for Jefferson Davis, the president of the Confederate States.
Yes, it was Nast who came up with the idea of a white-bearded old man with rosy cheeks. But that’s not all, Nast is the one who showed Santa passing out gifts.
But guess who he was passing out presents to? Union soldiers. And when Nast showed Santa climbing into a chimney, it was the chimney of a Union soldier’s house that he visited as the soldier’s wife prayed.
Are you noticing a common theme yet? Yep. Santa was pro-Union Army.
But there’s more. Take a look at his picture.
Look at How Much of Santa’s Story Came from Nast
- The center window says, “Santa and his works.”
- The top-left circle says, “On the look out for good children.”
- The image on the left of the center window shows his workshop.
- The top-right circle says, “Account work, record of behavior.”
- The image on the right of the center window says, “Holiday week.”
- The image at the bottom below the center window shows him riding in a sleigh and says, “Christmas Eve.”
- The bottom-left circle shows a pine tree and says, “Christmas tree.”
- The image on the bottom-left of the center window says, “Dollie’s tea party.”
- The image on the bottom-right of the center window says, “Which Dollie will you have?“
- The bottom-right circle shows Santa sewing with a needle and thread and says, “Making Dollie’s clothes.”
- Along the top of this illustration, it says, “Santa Claus stable.”
- At the bottom of this illustration, it says, “Dollie’s kitchen” and “Dollie’s parlor.”
- And the one you won’t believe… along the top-right it says, “Santa Clausville, N.P.” (N.P. = North Pole)
Isn’t it crazy how many of the things we associate with Christmas are in this one image?
But remember that Union theme? It wasn’t just in that first image. Check out this image and I’ll show you what I mean…
The Hidden Pro-Union Message in Nast’s Images
This was a picture he illustrated in 1881 that appeared in Harper’s Weekly. It looks just like a normal Santa picture, right? Nope.
If you knew what some of the things in the picture actually were, you’d realize it’s actually more propaganda.
Believe it or not, the image is actually representing the government’s indecision to pay members of the military a higher wage.
Let me show you what I mean.
On Smithsonianmag.com, writer, Lorraine Boissoneault, quotes Ryan Hyman. He’s a curator at the Macculloch Hall Historical Museum, located in Nast’s hometown of Morristown, New Jersey…
“‘On his back isn’t a sack full of toys—it’s actually an army backpack from enlisted men.’ He’s holding a dress sword and belt buckle to represent the Army, whereas the toy horse is a callback to the Trojan horse, symbolizing the treachery of the government. A pocket watch showing a time of ten ’til midnight indicates the United States Senate has little time left to give fair wages to the men of the Army and Navy.”
Ryan Hyman, quoted in A Civil War Cartoonist Created the Modern Image of Santa Claus as Union Propaganda
That shows that whenever Nast was creating images of Santa, he was subtly, and not so subtly, promoting the pro-Union message.
In other words, his content was always promoting the message he was “selling.”
3 Simple and Quick Content Marketing Lessons You Can Learn from Thomas Nast
Before you go, let me leave you with a few content marketing lessons that still apply today (and apply all year long):
- Never forget the value of images to capture attention and share your message. Images capture attention and are memorable.
- The power of a story tied to a well-designed image is a powerful combination. Images that don’t say anything aren’t very powerful. Always figure out how to tie them to the message you want to convey.
- Never overlook the astonishing power of repetition. If you really want to get your message across, you need to consistently share it. Sharing it only once will probably not have much impact. (Want to learn more about repetition? The previous bolded sentence is a link.)
If you want to see more of these articles, then make sure to come back for tomorrow’s final article.
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How to Create Engaging Content in 2024
Content was once a rare thing, but now it has become a commodity.
You can’t just post any-old, average content anymore and expect to see results.
But that DOESN’T mean that content marketing and content creation are a waste of time.
The good news is that even though content is now a commodity, unique content is in demand more than ever.
I’d say that if you’re going to create content, then it has to be original.
It has to stand out.
Otherwise, it’s a waste of time.
But IF your content is engaging and original, you will stand out from the pack and build a valuable audience made up of prospects and customers.
You’ll go from chasing prospects to attracting them to you, your business, or your organization.
How do you create engaging and original content?
That’s what my “31 Types of Content We Crave” training is all about.
If you’ve enjoyed my Christmas content marketing lessons and want to know how to create more unique and engaging content, then don’t miss the special offer to attend my “31 Types of Content We Crave” webinar at a special price.
I’ll not only allow you attend for a special price, I’ll also:
- Give you a free PDF copy of my book 51 Content Marketing Hacks
- Send you the recording after the webinar
- Allow you to invite any of your staff to attend with you (or in your place)
If you’re interested in being a part of the webinar, or just want more details on the date, time, etc., then DM me on LinkedIn.
Yes, that’s the only way to get more information.
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