Prometheus Capital

  How Santa Claus Became a Brand by Prometheus Capital From Saint to Symbol Every December, Santa Claus appears everywhere at once. He smiles from soda cans and storefront windows, waves from billboards and phone commercials, stands in shopping malls, and animates across television screens and social media feeds. He is simultaneously a mythic figure, a childhood fantasy, and a commercial symbol. Entire industries align their calendars around his arrival, and global supply chains move in anticipation of his annual return. Yet the Santa Claus we recognize today was not always this unified, familiar presence. The version of Santa that dominates modern Christmas did not emerge naturally from folklore alone. He was shaped, refined, and stabilized by business. Long before Santa became a brand, he existed as a fragmented collection of cultural traditions. His roots trace back to Saint Nicholas, a fourth-century bishop from what is now Turkey, known for quiet acts of generosity and gif...

Rudolph: The Story of a Discount Department Store That Created a Christmas Empire by Prometheus Capital Introduction: A Christmas Icon Born from Commerce Each season Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is visible throughout the Christmas marketplace—on jumpers, decorations, gift wrap, music collections, advertisements, commercials and plastic figures in malls spanning from New York to Seoul. He is as crucial to the holiday’s imagery, as Santa Claus himself. However here comes the twist: Rudolph is not folklore. He is not mythology. He is not ancient tradition. He works in marketing. The retail powerhouse Montgomery Ward brought him to life in 1939 as a cost-cutting tactic—one that inadvertently gave rise to one of the most lucrative, iconic and lasting holiday figures, in history. This is the remarkable entirely factual tale of how a corporate marketing project turned into a billion-dollar Christmas symbol—and what it uncovers about the role of storytelling, branding and emotiona...

  What are Tariffs? by Prometheus Capital        Few economic tools have shaped nations, ignited political battles, and stirred public debate quite like tariffs. These simple taxes on imported goods—older than most countries that use them—have an uncanny way of resurfacing every few years in headlines, campaign speeches, and global market analyses. If you’ve been online from early 2024 through late 2025, you’ve seen tariffs thrown around like a buzzword. Politicians blame them, commentators praise them, and consumers quietly wonder why their groceries, electronics, or cars suddenly cost more this month than last. Tariffs aren’t new—but their impact on everyday life has been brought to the forefront of our economy as of late. Today, we’re taking a deep dive into what tariffs actually are, how they influence the economy, and why this centuries-old policy tool still has the power to shake markets, shift prices, and spark global tension. The Birth of an Econom...