Advertising as antitrust defense
Times sure have changed. The above image is a two-page spread from the July 1976 National Geographic, featuring Union Oil’s infamous “What a way to run a monopoly!” ad.
The ad copy’s the best part. Reading it today, it’s shockingly gruff and confrontational—an anachronism pre-dating the rise of the “social responsibility of business” doctrine that dominates today’s business schools.
Here’s the copy:
You’re looking at some of the brands and names of companies that sell gasoline. Some people say oil companies are a monopoly. If so, it’s the world’s most inept “monopoly.”
This “monopoly” is so inept that it offers the world’s richest country some of the world’s most inexpensive gasoline.
This “monopoly” is so inept that it lets everybody and his brother horn in on the action. Did you know that of the thousands of American oil companies, none has larger than an 8.5% share of the national gasoline market?
In fact, this “monopoly” is so inept that you probably wouldn’t recognize that it is a monopoly because it looks so much like a competitive marketing system.
People who call us a monopoly obviously don’t know what they’re talking about.
For all its awkwardness, it’s sure got a high truth-to-word ratio.
Almost enough to make you nostalgic—well, maybe not.
Posted by Andrew on Thursday May 27, 2004 | Feedback?
