Who invented rudolph the reindeer

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Related Stories. Already a print subscriber? Go here to link your subscription. Need help? Visit our Help Center. Defunct Chicago-based department store Montgomery Ward wanted to pass out free coloring books to children during the holiday shopping season of Copywriter Robert L. May was tasked with writing a poem to go in the booklets. Drawing on his own childhood experience with bullying, May created the character of Rudolph, a little reindeer ostracized for his shiny nose.

Rudolph was a huge hit, and Montgomery Ward distributed 2. Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. Get a daily selection of our top stories based on your reading preferences. Loading Something is loading. Email address. Sign up for notifications from Insider! Stay up to date with what you want to know. Deal icon An icon in the shape of a lightning bolt. While Rudolph was undoubtedly successful as an initial advertising campaign, he does not enjoy the same association with Montgomery Ward that Santa does with Coca-Cola.

In a rare act of corporate generosity, the retailer handed over the Rudolph rights to its creator in , who was struggling financially following the passing of his wife. May became a millionaire through licensing the character. Rudolph ceased to be a marketing campaign for Montgomery Ward, elevated instead to a product in his own right and transcending into common Christmas folklore.

Give away something for free to draw in customers and their kids. Photo: Today I Found Out. Kunle is a trusted advisor to ambitious, agile ecommerce brands. His core strengths lies in growing revenue by developing and executing scalable customer acquisition and search marketing strategies for online retailers.