Great Advertising

I know this is intended to be a photo-blog in the sense that it shows off my more artistic photography and thoughts pertaining thereunto. However, I found something of particular interest that I wanted to blog about—and I took a picture of it, so it still counts as a photoblog!

Stashed around the pump at Sunoco the other day I noticed stickers with the oil mogul's signature red, yellow, and blue colors on them. So I picked one up and read the back. Turns out that anyone who puts this sticker on their car is automatically entered to win one of 12,000 prizes, those being $10.00 Sunoco gas cards. At $4.25+ per gallon, $10.00 will buy you about a shot-glass worth of gasoline (perhaps a little more than that!). But I digress. If you win one of those 12,000 prizes, you are automatically entered in the grand prize drawing: 5,000 gallons of Sunoco gasoline. Now that's impressive.

Oh, and how does just putting a sticker on your car automatically get you entered? Spotters at or near Sunoco stations have to spot your car and flag you down. Then you win a $10.00 gas card and are entered toward the grand prize.

But you know who I think the real winner is here? It's Sunoco. They're giving you the opportunity to win some free gas—but think about all the free advertising they're getting. Not to mention posting spotters at or near their stations—thus encouraging sticker holders to purchase Sunoco gasoline.

This is genius marketing and advertising. It gets the consumer directly involved, and has the potential to pay dividends in advertising and customer loyalty for Sunoco. Bottom line: the expenses of giving away free gasoline are more-than-likely offset by the returns Sunoco is able to gain.

Marketing and advertising like this is the kind of stuff that wins awards. It's fresh and outside-the-box thinking. I only wish I could put my name on a campaign, strategy, or concept like this.

That said, Sunoco has reeled me in...with gas costing what it does today, whether $10.00 or 5,000 gallons, I'm willing to give Sunoco a small space on my car in order for a shot at some free vitamin-G. By the way, the promotion ends August 31st, and you can bet, my sticker will be scraped off that same day—unless Sunoco makes me another offer that I can't refuse...

Check out more at www.gosunoco.com