From Coke's own website: " Coca-Cola® advertising actually helped shape this modern-day image of Santa."
http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com/heritage/cokelore_santa.html
Or haven't you noticed he wears the same shade of red as the Cole bottle? (Me, I drink Cherry Coke from a darker red can or Dr Pepper from a brown can - did you know that here in California, Coke and Dr Pepper are bottled by the same company but Dr Pepper Corporation's other brands aren't? Apparently a grandfathered contract from 40 years ago. But I digress.)

Anyway, in the USofA, Coca-Cola is the Official Drink of Christmas for anybody who doesn't get drunk on well-spiked Egg Nog. And when a flying Coke truck passes over, we don't think of the Blitz, we think of 9/11.