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| - An image purportedly showing an authentic vintage advertisement (archived) for Arrow, a men's fashion brand that has been in operation since 1851, circulated online in early December 2024.
The alleged ad shows a depiction of Santa Claus holding a gun to his head and seemingly contemplating suicide, with text that read: "Don't do it, Santa… we've got good news!" The advertisement goes on to explain that Santa's despair was due to being overwhelmed by the number of requests for Arrow Shirts.
(nina_ballerina on Reddit)
The vintage advertisement spread on Reddit (reportedly circa 1951) in several threads. One user posted: "It's a proven fact that Santa has a death wish." Another said: "Oh no, that's a very upsetting ad. Even for the time, that seems over the top." One person even described it as "unhinged."
Indeed, the ad depicting a suicidal Santa is genuine. It was included in an issue of Life Magazine dated Dec. 15, 1947, which featured a cover story about the burgeoning metropolitan nightclub scene and the performers who worked in it.
(Life Magazine)
Other notable coverage in the issue included the marriage of Princess Elizabeth — who later became Queen Elizabeth II — to Prince Philip, the Broadway opening of "A Streetcar Named Desire" and a historic expedition to an unexplored region of the Himalayas.
The Arrow ad appeared on page 62 of the issue, set between a two-page ad for Seagram's and a short, fashion feature about petticoats. A copy of the ad itself can even be purchased on eBay, although the date in the listing is incorrect.
We have reached out to Arrow to try to determine when exactly the ad first ran, how widely it was seen and what the public reaction was at the time, if any.
Snopes has fact-checked many vintage advertisements in the past, including a real ad declaring "more doctors smoke Camels than any other cigarette," Sears catalogs advertising live animals available for mail order and a fake KFC advertisement promoting "The Colonel's holiday 3-way."
If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health, suicide or substance use crisis or emotional distress, reach out 24/7 to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline (formerly known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) by dialing or texting 988 or using chat services at suicidepreventionlifeline.org to connect to a trained crisis counselor.
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