who came up with rudolph the red nosed reindeer

The song "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" was written by Johnny Marks and first recorded by Gene Autry in 1949. The story of Rudolph was based on a poem written by Marks' brother-in-law, Robert May, who was a copywriter at the Montgomery Ward department store. The poem was originally published in a 1939 booklet for Montgomery Ward and was later adapted into a song. Marks' original lyrics did not include the character of Rudolph, but rather focused on a shy reindeer named Reginald.