Citgo Pulls Gas Ads That Fueled Librarians’ Anger

Thanks to Gary Price’s ResourceShelf.com for pointing the way to a short American Libraries Blurb that says Admitting it was “a mistake that we do regret and will not make again,â€? Citgo Petroleum has pulled a yearlong advertising campaign that claimed its credit card was “more useful than a library cardâ€?—but only after a South Carolina librarian took offense at the wording of signs that were placed at the top of area gas pumps and on billboards.

April 2, 2004 by Uncategorized 2

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2 Responses

  1. Bibliofuture says:
    April 2, 2004 at 8:40 am

    Stupid
    It was stupid to have these ads pulled. It was free advertising for libraries!! Many people that saw the billboard probably would have asked themselves, “Is that credit card more useful than a library card?” Other people might have thought, “Man, I haven’t been to the library in a long time, maybe I should go!”

    What was the worry? That people would really think that a gasoline credit card was more useful than a library card and stop going to the library?

    Reply
  2. Grumpy Librarian says:
    April 2, 2004 at 9:05 am

    If I’m on a road trip, which would I want with me?
    The thing about the ad is that it implies library cards are very useful. Our card is MORE useful than a library card.

    You wouldn’t say “my product is more useful than a fish’s bicycle.” Unless you were being ironic. And I read somewhere that irony is dead.

    On the other hand, this quote is FANTASTIC: ‘“To find that Citgo has unintentionally incurred the displeasure of librarians and library card holders is a highly dismaying and unpleasant experience,â€? Brand Development Manager Don Rucks said in a March 10 letter of apology to Stephens.’

    I wish I had written that.

    Maybe we should start a petition to bring back the ad campaign, just to keep them on their toes.

    Reply

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