Elf on the shelf keeps growing
It all began with an elf named Fisbee.
In the 1970s, when her three children were growing up, Carol Aebersold would place her childhood toy Fisbee in a new spot each day leading up to Christmas. The family lore was that Fisbee was watching over them, ready to report to Santa if the children were naughty.
In 2004, Aebersold’s daughter Chanda Bell suggested turning the family story into a book that would be sold with a toy elf. After struggling to find a publisher, the family drained their savings and printed “The Elf on the Shelf” themselves.
Since then, more than 19 million people worldwide have bought “The Elf on the Shelf.” Last year, the family’s privately held company, The Lumistella Co., signed a multiyear deal with Netflix to develop Elf on the Shelf content.
Lumistella founder and co-CEO Christa Pitts — who is Bell’s sister — says the Atlanta company’s 100 employees take their job seriously.
“Everyone in our company works for Santa Claus,” Pitts said. “It’s a higher purpose here."
Pitts talked with The Associated Press about the Elf’s appeal.
People love holiday traditions, but it’s rare that something breaks through to become a new tradition. What is it about The Elf on the Shelf that appeals to people?
This tradition began when my mom was a child. And then that tradition came with her into our family. As my siblings and I grew up, we always had an elf that talked to Santa and we didn’t realize anyone else didn’t. So I think there is an authentic-ness to what we do in terms of sharing our family tradition with the world. That’s real and not manufactured, which I think resonates with families. And I think it’s refreshing to have something that represents family values. It’s simple. It’s not that expensive. It returns year after year.
What was the moment you realized this was going to be bigger than anything you had imagined?
We’re still not there yet. You know, if you’re someone who’s deeply involved and passionate about your company and your brands, you’re always seeing what the next possibility is. You’re always thinking about what you need to be doing to stay ahead of the curve and continue to be relevant. There have been moments where I can take a step back and just have that feeling of, ’’Wow. This is cool.” But then it immediately shifts into the next gear of, “What do we need to do to continue telling the stories of Santa’s North Pole?”
How did the pandemic impact the company?
While the pandemic was difficult around the globe for everyone, for us the fact that our tradition is something you do in your own home amplified the excitement around it. We had a record year, and we continue to be on track for another record year.