Ford is teasing its next addition with a little help from Hollywood, enlisting actors Jon Bernthal and Ben Affleck

https://fordauthority.com/2026/10/ford-raptor-history-lesson-brought-to-life-via-jon-bernthal-and-ben-affleck-video

Firestone sold a lot more than tires (I've already posted radios and tool sets they licensed)

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10245033370318628&set=gm.10164421401484435&idorvanity=49655829434

1967

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=122212155536377945&set=gm.3502682963238616&idorvanity=132380976935515

I don't recall ever discovering that Artic Cat had made motorcycles (1972)

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10232288127842835&set=gm.2312741945919680&idorvanity=804065043454052

there's no one source of info that can be interesting... and things can be found in the strangest places that are often random, and this post is an example of the cool things I love to discover, and research into, that makes a information and historical connection surprise, like the one between neon signs and cars that you probably would never guess

The inventor of neon signs and neon lighting, was French engineer and chemist Georges Claude, who 1st demonstrated the glowing red-orange neon tube publicly at the Paris Motor Show in December 1910.

After a successful display at the Paris Art Show in 1910, Claude conceived the idea of bending glass tubing in order to form letters, developing the first neon sign.

Neon signs weren’t introduced to the US until the 1920s when Earle Anthony is believed to be the first US business owner to use neon signage – in 1923, he ordered two signs reading ‘Packard’ to be used by two car dealerships in Los Angeles. 

Neon sign usage quickly caught on after this throughout the rest of the country.

In 1924, the first neon sign was installed in New York’s Times Square advertising automaker Willys-Overland.

the coincidence that Neon Signs were given a public debut at a Motor Show, then that the 1st in the USA were for a Packard dealership, and the 1st in Times Square were for Willys Overland? Amazing

https://www.facebook.com/CBSSundayMorning/posts/sundaymorning-almanac-neon-lightson-january-19-1915-french-inventor-georges-clau/10163070288136337

https://neonmuseum.org/news/the-evolution-of-neon-signs-from-vintage-to-modern/

https://patents.google.com/patent/US1125476A/en

https://www.invent.org/inductees/georges-claude

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/almanac-neon-lights/

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=244569953192382

https://www.neoncreations.co.uk/blogs/blog/history-of-neon

https://www.facebook.com/allagashwildonline/posts/december-3-on-this-date-in-1910-georges-claude-demonstrated-the-first-neon-light/1318180516777111/

https://www.nist.gov/nist-museum/luminous-script-signs-origins-neon-sign

that random strange place that I learned of this in? 

An artist's book that I got at Comic Con, Ryan Claytor: One Bite at a Time, 20 Years of Elephant Eater Comics

https://elephanteater.com

https://www.facebook.com/ryan.claytor.3

and there are OBVIOUS reasons that this book is an Eisner Award nominee, and I can't imagine what some other book had that would outshine this in the award competition, this book is an outstanding example of fantastic publishing, overlays, foldouts, comfortable exterior fabric, heavy paper pages, great illustrations. 

it's been a long time since I've seen a 60s double entendre ad

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=27843947718611039&set=gm.1841512983791186&idorvanity=226675368608297

Pabst Blue Ribbon has a new marketing campaign, pretend a truck has been stolen in California, "Beer is getting warmer, trail is getting colder. Clock's still ticking," the company wrote, urging people to snap a photo and tag them if they see the truck.

A truck carrying an estimated 40,000 pounds of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer was stolen in Montclair in what may be the biggest beer heist ever.

The stolen truck was loaded with what is equivalent to more than 50,000 cans of beer.

Pabst has been using a lot of social media to hype this, like on Instagram, the company wrote: "STOLEN - 40,000lbs of beer."

The post continued: "To the thief: we don't fault you for wanting to brag to your friends how much PBR you have"... (clever)

The company gave the thief an ultimatum.

"Pabst is officially starting the clock now - you have exactly 18 days and 44 minutes ( Pabst Brewing Company was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1844  ) to return our truck, no questions asked"

https://abc7.com/post/truck-loaded-40k-pounds-pabst-blue-ribbon-beer-stolen-montclair-company-sets-deadline-no-questions-asked-return/19749119/

Question.... how does any corporate delivery vehicle NOT have GPS tracking, and NOT get tracked by Flock cameras?

I'm guessing this is a marketing campaign strategy to get free publicity (the deadline and founding year, that's a clue) and nothing more. That's actually clever

thank you Turdherder! For lettting me know about the Gulf No-Nox advertising campaign "It gives you an extra kick" and the Gulf gas station attendant gave customers a little pair of orange plastic horse shoes

this reminds me about my article on day glo colors invention and use in advertising https://justacarguy.blogspot.com/2023/05/name-one-invention-that-allies-enjoyed.html

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=6613115165480554&set=p.6613115165480554&type=3

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1755590738201686&set=gm.997079508063881&idorvanity=966136097824889

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10164584442734650&set=gm.1667631267675365&idorvanity=966136097824889

https://www.facebook.com/groups/966136097824889

https://media.printables.com/media/prints/147970/images/1392529_b9251979-6d84-44fe-a194-2fb78c45e2e1/thumbs/inside/1280x960/jpg/d259gulfx2.webp

a billboard above Sunset Boulevard is promoting a new Netflix sci-fi thriller called "The Last House", and there is a guy inside it shocking the people passing by

 

https://abc7.com/amp/post/man-living-inside-billboard-sunset-boulevard-promote-film-draws-spectators/19640822

I haven't seen this, so... just fwiw, they did pick a cool Chevelle for the advertising and promotions of this tv series

Debbie discovers that her friend of 20 years, Judith, is secretly an assassin. After a hit goes wrong, they go on the run while being targeted by a mysterious enemy

Collider says Ride or Die has heart, humor, and hard-hitting action on par with Reacher"

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30494226/?ref_=mv_close

https://collider.com/ride-or-die-prime-video-action-thriller-perfect-for-reacher-fans/

CGI can do amazing videos

Nice Firestone ghost sign in Lyons, Texas from about a 100 years ago.

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=10238689969780313&set=pcb.1706895786924787

"The Chemical Guys" have a really good commercial on Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/ChemicalGuysMfgCo/videos/2031428321087092/

 it's cleverly worded about how a guy cleans his car, from the back to the front, by hand, no power tools

new to me ads for Phillips 66 (now has me wondering... what is the 66 representing?) And Steve has the answer! The story the museum tells is that the car testing the Phillips gas did 66 miles per hour while running on Route 66.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10224954192362288&set=gm.1722943422216820&idorvanity=319578812553295

Phillips Petroleum Company was started in Bartlesville, Oklahoma in 1917 by brothers Lee and Frank Phillips. 

 Route 66 opened in 1926. The first Phillips 66 station opened in November 1927 - bulk sales before that. 

By the end of December they had four stations up and running. The story the museum tells goes that the car testing the gas did 66 miles per hour while running on Route 66.

The stated reason in 1927 didn't mention a car testing gas on Route 66 - it was the API gravity value of their aviation fuel (by 1932 it was up to 69.6).

Their logo didn't change to look like the Route 66 signs until around August 1930. 

As an aside, Phillips 66 was the name of Bartlesville's very successful A.A.U. league basketball team.

thank you Steve!

clever ad!

 

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1595917948563574&set=a.610868297068549

1977 Gabriel shock test team, the Mt Rushmore of race car drivers

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=26305113319161161&set=gm.1734424387833380&idorvanity=226675368608297

Did the name Doc Holliday get used to attract attention to the ad, or, was there really someone else named for the famous wild west gunslinger?

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10233677295854379&set=a.1617402035143

never let a chance for good free publicity go to waste!

A KitKat truck in Canada was flanked by a security escort through Toronto, on Wednesday (8 April), following the theft of more than 400,000 bars in Europe.

 Nestlé confirmed that thieves had made off with around 12 tons of the chocolate, after a vehicle carrying its new chocolates set off from central Italy bound for Poland but did not reach its final destination.

 The stolen vehicle and the merchandise remain unaccounted for.  The food giant said they are working with local authorities and supply partners to investigate.

 KitKat Canada leaned into the headlines, transforming a logistics nightmare into a marketing bonanza!

https://www.independent.co.uk/tv/news/kitkat-robbery-security-truck-toronto-b2955766.html

Last month, approximately 12 tons (over 413,000 bars) of KitKat chocolate, specifically a new Formula 1 line, were stolen while in transit from an Italian production site to Poland. The heist occurred just before Easter, and both the truck and the cargo remain missing.

The company, based in Vevey, Switzerland, said in a statement Friday that “the vehicle and its load are still nowhere to be found.” “Whilst we appreciate the criminals’ exceptional taste, the fact remains that cargo theft is an escalating issue for businesses of all sizes,” KitKat said in a statement.

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/europe/kitkat-candy-bars-stolen-en-route-italy-poland-nestle-says-rcna265621

ever see an ad for a dining car before?

 the poster / advertising art of AM Cassandre

interesting ad on an eye catching VW van