MOLLUSK, Virginia – One of the most brilliant recent relaunches of a great American brand is the rebirth of Gulf. The company almost totally disappeared, the only remnant being the assorted consumer products branded with Gulf. Pictured here, a new Gulf station and pump in the tiny “town” of Mollusk, Virginia, located in Lancaster County [...]

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MATHEWS, Va. – For brand archaeologists, the best dig site is Cracker Barrel. They are fascinating museums of America’s business history, not to mention their gift shops filled with old-time brands. Here pictured in a restaurant near Jacksonville, Florida are cans of Tidewater Long Wearing Motor Oil. We thank Catesby Jones of Peace Frogs for [...]

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The news that BP stations are suffering under a growing boycott threat is natural and understandable. Consumers are frustrated with the federal government and Obama’s response. They will have to wait until November to vote. So a boycott threat is really the only thing they can do. Better than throwing black paint on the signs, [...]

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SARASOTA – BP is the joke at our local comedy club. The joke won’t work in print, but the line involved something about bombs and how the BP owner was wishing he had purchased some other filling station brand like Racetrack. The beaches are still pristine here in this part of Florida, but if they [...]

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Old Navy’s got some old brands at its stores this spring. Shirts with logos of the Ford Pinto, Gulf Oil, Texaco and Standard Oil of California are out. The Standard is particularly good, eh?

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One of the more forgotten sub-brands of a major oil company is Marfak Lubrication. Marfak was the lube brand of Texaco and Caltex. If Havoline was the actual oil, Marfak was the process. I can’t say it was actually used much as a verb, as I never heard the word used; I only saw it [...]

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