Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was a very shiny marketing tool
1939 booklet for "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" in the National Museum of American History's collection
Santa’s most famous reindeer got his start in 1939, when a writer for the Montgomery Ward department store used Rudolph to boost profits during the holiday season.
Robert May first created the story for his daughter, but then turned it into a promotional booklet at work. It was handed out for free to kids who came to the store—bringing along their parents and their wallets.
Denver Gillen, a young commercial artist who also worked for Montgomery Ward, did the illustrations.
Other names besides Rudolph that May considered? Romeo, Rodney and Reginald.
Montgomery Ward distributed 2.4 million copies of Rudolph’s story in the first year. The name stuck, and a classic was born.
Ten years later, May’s brother-in-law Johnny Marks adapted the story and set it to music.
This booklet is one of the originals from 1939, and it’s now in our National Museum of American History’s collection.