go with the gulf (1)

The Warehouse recently found some snapshots of Gulf Oil advertising, from the 20s or 30s. We forget where we picked these up, so apologies are given to whoever we lifted these from. Historical notes have been kindly provided by J. Percival Wexford-Snoopington, Ph. D. This is the first in a series of six ads we'll feature over the next few weeks.



Note that above any other products and services Gulf Oil provided, rest rooms were considered the most important. Gulf's expert team of regional latrine orderlies were the envy of competitors. Even quarts of motor oil and window cleaning were of secondary importance to making sure customers could relieve themselves in the utmost comfort and gentility.

The clean rest room for ladies and gentlemen was the most popular of all. No way any dirt or dirty thoughts ever touched these sterling stations. No way. Nor were the old whiskey stills often found in the rest rooms at the height of Prohibition a draw.

Meanwhile, the extra time motoring couples spent in the rest rooms allowed station attendants plenty of time to take vehicles on joyrides. Few customers noticed the extra pennies on their bill. These joyriders also provided reports on how Gulf fuels and oils affected each model's performance, sending their data back to headquarters so that the research department could further their work on making the most vehicle-friendly products available. - JB

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

past pieces of toronto: the mynah bird

past pieces of toronto: knob hill farms

the smiling men of pasadena 2: the eternal smile of "uncle bill" haas