The Christmas Tree: A Surprisingly Brilliant Bit of Branding

While everyone is heavy into their marketing over Christmas, have you ever considered how much of the Christmas “tradition” actually started as marketing? Take the humble but very sparkly Christmas tree, for example. This might just be the best piece of branding ever made.

Stick with me.

Long before anyone added fairy lights or Instagram filters, these warm and inviting evergreen fir trees were symbols of life and hope in the dead of winter. When everything else turned brown and bare, they stayed green – a sign that brighter days were coming. So back in the 1500s, Germans started bringing these trees inside and decorating them. It was about creating warmth, beauty, and a sense of togetherness. It meant something. I guess it still does.

And if I pop in a little branding connection – because that's what we're here for – that’s what all strong brands start with: meaning.
Something that makes people feel something long before they even see a logo.

Then this beautiful tree got a makeover.

In 1848, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert were drawn standing proudly beside their heavily adorned Christmas tree. This early influencer image hit the newspapers, and suddenly the whole idea went viral (well, Victorian-style viral). Everyone wanted one because the Royals had one. And you thought influencers were a new thing that came with digital marketing.

This humble fir tree wasn’t really about Christmas anymore – it was about identity, belonging, and a bit of aspiration. Basically the first influencer campaign, minus the hashtags.

Fast-forward a few decades into the 1930s and Coca-Cola takes over. Their iconic red Santa next to a glowing Christmas tree? That wasn’t just festive – that was strategic. They didn’t invent Christmas, but they definitely branded it better than anyone else. They positioned the Christmas tree as a visual shorthand for joy, generosity, and family. That’s brand storytelling at scale.

Every year since, those same colours, shapes, and feelings pop up everywhere. You see a tree and instantly think of warmth, togetherness, generosity – all the emotional stuff brands dream of being linked to.

So, back to why we’re all here on this blog.
The Christmas tree shows the ultimate power of consistency – the same story, the same look, the same feeling, repeated over and over until it becomes second nature.

Now, think about your own Christmas tree for a second.
You’ve probably got a theme – colour-coordinated baubles, a certain style of lights, maybe even a “must-have” decoration that’s been there for years. It’s your look. If someone else decorated it completely differently, it wouldn’t feel right. It wouldn’t feel like you. And without that decoration that’s been handed down for years, or the ones your kids made, there’d be no story and no connection.

That’s brand identity in action.
When everything – design, tone, materials, even how it’s presented – fits together, it feels intentional. Familiar. Trustworthy.

So yeah, the Christmas tree isn’t just festive décor. It’s a centuries-old branding masterclass.
It’s emotional. It’s consistent. It’s instantly recognisable anywhere in the world.

Makes you wonder – if your brand was a Christmas tree, would people recognise it straight away? Or would they squint at it and think, “Hmm… something feels off”?