The elf on the shelf, the very commercial tradition that we love anyway

But who is this elf who has been squatting in your living room since December 1st? What is his project? The tradition of “The Elf on the Shelf” is to invite an elf into your home during the Advent season and let him wreak havoc during the night, to the delight of your family. . And its creators, who have been riding the wave of elven success ever since.

Elf on the shelf, a tradition to be diverted urgently

Elves have always accompanied Santa Claus, at least since children’s author Clement Moore and then Coca-Cola kidnapped St. Nicholas. These little critters, dressed in red, help the happy belly with presents. But it would seem that they also have a mission to watch over the little ones. In early December, an elf settles in each house to watch its inhabitants. At night he flies to the North Pole to report what he has seen, before returning to wreak havoc on his hosts. In the morning, the children of the family enjoy looking for the elf and observing his misdeeds during the day.

If the darons are not all seduced by the newcomer’s coffee trends and even prefer to avoid involving Santa Claus in all this, everyone is free to interpret the tradition in their own way. Magical character, or supposed parental puppet, this elf has no shortage of ideas when it comes to finding hiding places and mischief to do. Unrolling the toilet paper, tearing off the packets of sweets, walking in the paint, the elf lives his best life and cheers up the Advent mornings.

Elfe on the shelf, a profitable success

The rowdy elf allows the little ones to wait until Christmas and their parents to develop their imagination and their child’s soul.

It’s also a nice marketing move for its creators. The Elf on the Shelf became known in 2005, when the children’s book of the same name was released: The Elf on the Shelf: A Christmas Tradition. This book written by Carol Aebersold and her daughter, Chandra Bell, comes with the famous leprechaun “doll” to wiggle. Less than ten years later, this tradition seems to be taking hold, at least if we believe the social networks that abound with mischievous elves, increasingly imaginative in their daily “malice”.

Proud of the elf’s success, Chandra Bell and her sister started the company Lumistellaexclusive owner of the brand Elf on the shelf. After several collaborations with famous American food brands, the company has just sold Netflix the right to adapt the story of the little character.

A nice Christmas marketing story the way we like them, but that shouldn’t stop us from having fun.

Photo credit image of one: Getty Images Signature