This past week we discussed give-a-ways and I mentioned I had written some articles about them for "CTO" magazines.
Today while looking for something else I came across this article. Thought you might like to read it. Sorry, the pictures are not with article, so I don't have them available. I probably wrote this article around 2002.
PROMOTIONS
OR “I’LL DO ANYTHING TO SELL GASOLINE”
No one knows who first used a promotion to sell gasoline. It was probably the first time a new service station moved in across the street from an existing station, or when an independent moved into an area controlled by majors. Price wars were not a product of the 1960s, they occurred as early as the 1920s. Service was stressed as the way to draw business. But after all these things were tried, somebody turned to a promotion.
As early as 1922 ads for promotions started to appear in National Petroleum News (NPN). One of the first ads was for coupon books. Coupon books, usually sold at a discount, were for a specific amount of trade. Early versions were used to attract business to a single location but later versions, such as the one issued by the National Checking Company for the National Petroleum Marketers Association, (PIC. #1) could be used at any of their stations. The Rand McNally ad of 1922 (PIC. #2 shows the Standard Oil, the Texas Company, Sinclair, Associated and Manhattan Oil were using coupon books at some of their stations. Robberies of stations were a concern, even in the 1920s, and coupon books were advertised as a means of reducing the amount of cash on hand.
By 1928 ads for merchandise were appearing in NPN. The ad from The United Potteries Co. of Canton, Ohio, stressed added gallonage from the use of their products (PIC. #3) . Could this be the first set of dishes ever given away at a service station? Some of the other promotional items they were advertising were cushions, stools, one-gallon Thermo jugs and reserve gasoline cans. The Salem China Co. of Salem, Ohio also advertised that their Antique Ivory Dinnerware would increase your gallonage (PIC. #4).
The 1920s also saw the first use of road maps as a promotion. Oil companies started giving away road maps for the states that they had stations located in. Conoco, who had stations in only 15 states, was one of the firsts to give away maps for all states as a goodwill gesture. Conoco hadn’t started using tour guides as yet, but they would be coming soon. Standard gave away one of the earliest almanacs in the 1920s.
Lighter fluid dispensers started to appear on the counters at service stations. Calendars, blotters, pencils, key rings, watch fobs, gas tank dip sticks, saw their start in the 1920s.
“L. V. White, president of The L.V. White Company, of Kalamazoo, was taking a friend on a tour of inspection of their twelve courtesy stations thoughout the city. After seeing these fine stations and their strategic locations – in various districts of city and on main arterial highways in and out of Kalamazoo, the friend casually remarked that “some day such valuable locations will become community market centers for products other than gasoline and motor oils.”” This sounds like something that was said in the 1990s, but it appeared in a story in Petroleum Age in 1931. Less than three months later Mr. White placed a “Sanivender” in each of his twelve stations (PIC. #5). The “Sanivenders” sold cigars, cigarettes, package confectionery, ice cream and bottled drinks. Sales actually reached as much as $31.00 per day at these locations. Another promotion ahead of its time.
In 1932, NPN published a picture of a table full of premiums they had accumulated from service stations in the Chicago area. On the table were close to 50 items including salt and peppershakers, dishes, glasses, towels, aprons, pillows, cupid dolls, pitchers and figurines (PIC. #6).
The 1930s brought promotions of all kinds. Pure, in 1935, sold birdhouses (PIC. #7) patterned in miniature after their current English Cottage type stations. Sinclair had a scratch off and punch card game to promote gallonage. Miniature gas stations with just about all the major brand names on the globes were being sold. The 1930s also saw the start of famous persons representing oil companies in their ads and promotions items. Ed Wynn for Texaco, local radio personalities for SOHIO. Matchbook covers, ashtrays, paper fans and even first aid kits started sporting oil company logos.
By the 1950s, with the resumption of gasoline sales without ration books, a full-scale promotion war began. Stamp books, coin sets, glasses with company logos printed on them, cook books, banks of plastic, glass and ones shaped as oil cans, window scrapers, playing card chips with a Mobil Pegasus logo, razor blades with Texaco, thimbles with Gulf, sewing kits with Esso, combs with Magnolia and who could forget the miniature gas pump salt and pepper shakers. Other items included screw drivers, tankers, presidential button, flag and antique automobile stamp books PIC. #8). Oil companies started expanding their line of accessories especially Socony (Mobil) with their Tavern line and Sinclair came out with just about everything with a dinosaur on it.
Promotions spilled into the 1960s with more of the same. We saw kites, soap, dolls, boats, yachts, fire hats, and clickers. You name it, they put an oil company logo on it. Promotions still exist today, while not to the extent we saw them in the 1950s and 1960s but they are still out there. On a recent 90-day trip to the Netherlands, I arrived during the start of a six-month coin promotion by the Shell Oil Company.
While this article was somewhat of a quick look at promotions it will also serve as a beginning of a series of articles on various promotions. Next issue will feature some glasses given away to promote gas sales. Other articles on coins and stamps will also appear later. I’m sure some of you have had some promotion catch your eye and you have specialized in it. How about writing an article or if you need help, we’ll write it if you will supply the pictures and background information?
Jack Sim
