Continuing a company tradition that has been observed every Christmas for a decade and a half, GM is once again activating the “feature” of tracking Santa Claus via the OnStar Santa Tracker, which is putting in another Yuletide appearance in 2023.
GM has made the Santa Tracker available this year starting on December 18th, making updates on the “jolly old elf’s” movements accessible to kids both through the OnStar blue button and the OnStar Guardian app.
The Santa Tracker gives “information” on the latest location of Santa according to the North America Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), which is well-known for also getting in on the holiday fun annually. GM notes that, as a result of the NORAD program, “St. Nick’s location is updated continuously.”
NORAD, according to GM, uses the “North Warning System radar chain and geosynchronous satellites with infrared sensors to follow Santa on his journey around the globe,” map data that is now accessible using the OnStar Guardian app as well. The app can also be used to “call Santa” during the pre-Christmas week.
This year, GM focused on the stories of people who used the OnStar app to bring some extra holiday excitement to their children’s Christmas experience. One woman, Melani, reported that she used OnStar in her Cadillac and “told [the Advisor] that there was a 4-year-old in the car who wanted to know where Santa was,” with the result that “they were very kind and explained where Santa was and that [Karen] had to be a good girl.”
Others said the Santa Tracker has been around long enough so that it’s now part of their family culture, recalling happy childhood memories to people who have outgrown belief in Santa Claus. One GM vehicle owner, Bob K., noted his granddaughters still ask OnStar where Santa is although the oldest one is 21, because “it fits in very nicely with the rest of the things we do on Christmas Eve.”
In addition to good-natured fun, GM continues to make a donation to the American Red Cross for every OnStar Santa Tracker button push to support first aid and natural disaster relief. In previous years, The General donated $1 for each Santa-related button press, though this year the press release doesn’t specify the amount of the donation.
Bob K. also summarized the program by remarking that it is “a neat way to give back to the community in a fun, positive way.”
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Comments
IMHO….it’d sure be swell if that same technology could “accurately track” the location of one’s new vehicle order.
Dealers access to VinView does this pretty well – the exception that I’ve seen is port vehicles coming from overseas.
This is the most compelling feature of OnStar now since the tech is outdated and everyone with a brain has moved on.
The interesting thing is that with newer vehicles, the owners want nothing to do with an OnStar subscription. The older vehicles, where GM has discontinued OnStar, are the ones where the owners still want OnStar.
More of Mary’s way of satisfying a customer (not)?
Who said OnStar wasn’t good for anything? LOL
Happy Holidays!
-Santa