Daniel Gritzer

In the 1960s, gas stations were not just a place to fuel up your car – they were also a hub for free giveaways that provided customers with a sense of nostalgia. These giveaways ranged from collectible glasses and toys to promotional items that were adorned with popular cartoon characters. This article takes a trip down memory lane to explore the various gas station giveaways of the 1960s and how they contributed to the unique user experience of that era.

What were some popular gas station giveaways in the s?

– Some popular gas station giveaways in the 1960s included collectible glasses, toy cars, road maps, and keychains.

Why did gas stations give away free items?

– Gas stations gave away free items to attract customers and build brand loyalty.

How did gas station giveaways contribute to nostalgia?

– Gas station giveaways of the 1960s often featured iconic images and logos that are now associated with nostalgia, such as Texaco and Sinclair.

What impact did gas station giveaways have on the culture of the s?

– Gas station giveaways of the 1960s contributed to a culture of consumerism and materialism, as people collected and traded these items.

Are gas station giveaways still popular today?

– Gas station giveaways are still popular today, although they have evolved to include more practical items such as car air fresheners and phone chargers.

After taking a trip down memory lane with this blog post, it’s clear that gas station giveaways in the 1960s provided more than just a freebie for customers. They were a way for gas stations to build brand loyalty and create a sense of community. These giveaways helped to create fond memories for many and fostered a feeling of nostalgia that we can still appreciate today. Overall, gas station giveaways in the 1960s were more than just a marketing tactic, they were a social experience that left a lasting impact on those who participated.

Although it is an era remembered for being a time of social unrest in the United States, there were so many things about that time that was so unassuming and simple. The truth is that perception is reality. In the groovy era, businesses, especially filling stations, gave dishes away as a marketing ploy! They also pumped your gas, checked the oil and cleaned your windows! If you made a weekly purchase, in time, you could collect an entire set, so businesses just knew you would be back. This was a clever and very lucrative marketing tool that really got results! These dishes, platters and glassware we love and have inherited, are still making appearances on many holiday tables, even still. Bringing out the vintage dishware brings back fond holiday memories of an era past. Newlyweds Heading Off To Honeymoon A newly-married couple waves as they drive off with streamers and a Just Married sign on the back of their pink convertible, With the purchase of furniture, newlyweds could score an entire set of dishes! One of the most recognizable giveaways from the groovy era was the iconic American Currier and Ives turkey platter. The huge plate used to serve our turkey and all the trimmings was usually decorated with a distinctive Currier and Ives lithograph of a tom turkey or a winter scene. These freebies were given away at supermarkets with the purchase of a turkey. Another popular giveaway pattern was the Homer and Loughlin Company wheat pattern dishes that came free in boxes of DUZ soap powder. The elegant ivory colored china pieces were trimmed in karat gold and featured a karat gold etching of a head of a ripe grain of wheat. If you bought enough soap, you could get the serving platter, serving bowls and even the gravy boat. The wheat pattern giveaway dishes are still around today and can be had from yard sales and antique shops, only they are not free! A guy could stop by the Esso station to gas up his muscle car and pick up a piece of dinnerware for Mom Other memorable giveaways included Anchor Hocking teacups and saucers that could be collected with the purchase of Quaker Oats. Gas stations like Esso and Union 76 gave away complete sets of glassware. Buy jelly and, eventually, you would have every Disney character on a tumbler or drinking glass. Brands like Pepsi, Coca-Cola and local hot spots also got in on the giveaway action. These days nothing in life is freenot so in the groovy era! Purchase frozen orange juice, mail away the plastic seals and in 6 to 8 weeks a cheery orange decorated carafe would arrive at your door. The foil seals from cigarette packages could be exchanged for artistic glass ashtrays, ceramic cigarette holders and coasters. Trends and fads come and go and come back again! Many of these very dishes are being sold now in antique stores and thrift shops today. I also think it is safe to say that these same dishes were of higher quality than what we buy today and will be around long after we are all gone. So with the holiday season approaching, you just may sit down to a table full of vintage place settings that were once free but are now valuable, if only in our memories. Toggle navigation. More from Groovy History. Come On Get Happy! Starlet Marilyn Monroe. Share On Facebook. Karen Harris Writer Karen left the world of academic, quitting her job as a college professor to write full-time. She spends her days with her firefighter husband and four daughters on a hobby farm with an assortment of animals, including a goat named Atticus, a turkey named Gravy, and a chicken named Chickaletta. Remember the Good Times. Fall in love again Famous Faces. Remember how it was Culture Change.
Franchised gas stations used to give out all kinds of premiums to lure in folks from their road trips to fill up with Gulf over ARCO, or Esso rather than Sinclair. Some of those premiums were in the form of maps, but others went straight to the back seat, to keep the kids quiet. Beginning in , it started using a play on its name to get kids to harass their parents to fill up there. The ARCO Ark set included at least a dozen sets of animals, a Noah figurine, and the plastic ark to put them all inside. Every few months, ARCO stations would feature a new set of nine animals, attached to a cardboard display card. Need an ark of your own? An estimated million people watched the event, slightly delayed on television. It transfixed kids from around the world, and all manner of companies hoped to capitalize on moon fever. Gulf was one of them, providing a cardboard model kit that young hands were supposed to punch out and fold up into the Lunar Module, which frankly was about as sturdy as the real thing. Beginning in , Hess filling stations which are primarily located on the east coast of the United States began selling toy trucks around the holidays, as a means of luring dads who were short a few last minute gifts on the way home from the office party.