At the time, retailers were fighting for Christmas foot traffic. Most handed out coloring books to kids. Montgomery Ward wanted something they could own. So they asked an in-house copywriter, Robert L. May, to create a Christmas character.
May wrote a short story about a shy reindeer with a glowing red nose, an outcast who saves Christmas when no one else can. The store printed over 2 million free Rudolph booklets and handed them out in stores. Kids loved it. Parents remembered where it came from. A retail promo suddenly had real emotional meaning about being different, inclusion, and redemption.
Years later, Montgomery Ward gave May the rights to Rudolph. Then the story became a song. The song became a classic. Then came TV specials, animated movies, and decades of licensing.
Rudolph stopped being a promotion and became a permanent part of Christmas.
Source:Lovinghananews.com
