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Tiki Gas Station |
naugatiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 806
From: Port Angeles, Wa
|  Posted: 2006-06-03 5:30 pm Permalink
Today I found an old heavy plastic sign from Chevron Gas called "Chevron Island" that looks like it belongs on a hut. I wish I knew more of this promo. Did they dress up the gas pumps to look like tikis and have hula girl pump jockeys? It would have been nice to fill up at this station before going to the Tiki McDonald's in Ohio
[ This Message was edited by: naugatiki 2006-06-03 20:21 ]
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tikitucson
Tiki Centralite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 43
From: Tucson, AZ
| Posted: 2006-06-03 7:14 pm Permalink
I'm pretty sure Chevron Island was a promotion/decorating scheme used by Chevron stations in the 1960's. There are lots of maps out there that say "Come to Chevron Island in ______" and feature a silhouette of a palm tree and a hula dancer atop a gas pump. I have an Arizona one somewhere- I'll post a picture if I can find it.
[ This Message was edited by: tikitucson 2006-06-03 19:15 ]
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Sabu The Coconut Boy
Grand Member (8 years) 
Joined: Aug 20, 2002
Posts: 2784
From: Carson, California
| Posted: 2006-06-03 8:08 pm Permalink
That's a wonderful find, naugatiki.
I knew about the United Airlines tiki promotional items. I had no idea there was similar stuff from Chevron. Very cool.
Sabu
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hewey
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Sep 14, 2004
Posts: 4270
From: Sydney, Australia
| Posted: 2006-06-04 12:04 am Permalink
Cool find. Love to see some vintage pics
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woofmutt
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 26, 2002
Posts: 2584
From: Seattilite Telstar
| Posted: 2006-06-04 12:27 am Permalink
Viva La Google!
oldgas.com has some information. "The Chevron Island promotion was advertised nationally...They had a tropical girl dressed in a hula skirt. She attended all of the regional dealer meetings...Chevron Island license plates...were given away at grand openings while this promotion was going on."
At the bottom of this page there is a 1970 photo where a Chevron Island sign can be seen over the pumps. Also a different metal one used for dealer meetings and some of the promo license plates.
This page has the same photos and some auction estimates for it.
The posts at oldgas.com estimate the signs were used in the late 60s, outdoors. "This plastic was very fragile and not meant to last. This sign is very hard to find in one piece."
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naugatiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Jan 02, 2004
Posts: 806
From: Port Angeles, Wa
| Posted: 2006-06-04 06:35 am Permalink
Thanks for all the info guys, I see one of those hula dancer maps is on ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/1969-CHEVRON-ISLAND-Road-Map-CALIFORNIA-Lake-Tahoe-Hula_W0QQitemZ7162152013QQcategoryZ838QQcmdZViewItem
and while I was adjusting it in my backyard my neighbor spotted it and remembered the radio spot and started singing the jingle "Come to Chevron Island and get some gas.". Not the most original ad but I was grateful for the tidbit.
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ikitnrev
Grand Member (8 years)
Joined: Jul 27, 2002
Posts: 1298
From: D.C. / Virginia
| Posted: 2006-06-04 1:49 pm Permalink
When they refer to 'Chevron Island', are they referring to a destination somewhere down the road - a road trip to make in your car, using Chevron gasoline? (once you reach the shore, you would then have to take a boat, or a plane, or drive over a long bridge, to reach the actual island)
Or are they referring to the actual physical 'raised curb' island on which sit the actual gasoline pumps at the gas station. In this case, the gas station itself would be the final destination (Come to Chevron Island). The juxtaposition of a hula girl (seashore and sand) and a greasy car mechanic (lots of concrete and asphalt) are about as 180 degrees apart as one can get.
Vern
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10566
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2006-06-05 07:09 am Permalink
Great research, guys! That map is a classic, they should have dressed the gas pumps as Tikis!
Not to deter from this thread, but it reminded me of the fact that I still have no material on a Gas station/car wash that was called TIKI car wash or something up in Seattle in the 60s/70s. Anybody ever heard about it?
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tikigik
Grand Member (first year) 
Joined: Oct 25, 2005
Posts: 118
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
| Posted: 2006-06-09 9:03 pm Permalink
ikitnrev wrote:
When they refer to 'Chevron Island', are they referring to a destination somewhere down the road - a road trip to make in your car, using Chevron gasoline? (once you reach the shore, you would then have to take a boat, or a plane, or drive over a long bridge, to reach the actual island)
Or are they referring to the actual physical 'raised curb' island on which sit the actual gasoline pumps at the gas station. In this case, the gas station itself would be the final destination (Come to Chevron Island). The juxtaposition of a hula girl (seashore and sand) and a greasy car mechanic (lots of concrete and asphalt) are about as 180 degrees apart as one can get.
<end of quote>
I would assume (uh, oh) that they were trying to create the image of an "oasis" that stood
out from the other, run-of-the-mill, gas stations. Remember, back then, most gas stations
sold gas & oil and often serviced your car and MIGHT have a soft drink machine and a small
selection of candy bars IF you were lucky. Gas stations were a place to get gas and that
was about it and IMAGE was what determined where at least some people got their gas. Heck,
Shell used to give out glassware with a fill-up if I remember right. And I DEFINATELY re-
member Union 76 giving out flourescent orange antenna balls.
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KokoKele
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Feb 08, 2012
Posts: 70 | Posted: 2012-02-15 6:45 pm Permalink
Oh, man, I wish someone had the old Chevron Island television commercial on video so I could watch it. My brother and I used to sing the song, which I believe was set to a tune from South Pacific.
Lyrics went something like:
Come to Chevron Island
Near to where you are
A friendly kind of island
(Something) for your car.
Man, I REALLY want to hear it again. Haven't seen it online anywhere . . .
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bigbrotiki
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Mar 25, 2002
Posts: 10566
From: Tiki Island, above the Silverlake
| Posted: 2012-03-19 11:54 pm Permalink
Wish no more!:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lWlbxZRksc
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tikitabby
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Dec 25, 2007
Posts: 25
From: Naramata, B.C.
| Posted: 2012-03-20 06:59 am Permalink
Great video !!!
I have a road map from this promotion - not at home now but will post a photo when I am.
[ This Message was edited by: tikitabby 2012-03-20 07:08 ]
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3936
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-03-20 07:56 am Permalink
Bigbro,
That is a great ad and nice find on the video. I had missed this post before, another cool old advertising theme.
Here is the Chevron Island map.
And another B & W ad with the Chevron Island hula girl.
DC
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tikitabby
Grand Member (first year)
Joined: Dec 25, 2007
Posts: 25
From: Naramata, B.C.
| Posted: 2012-03-20 07:59 am Permalink
That's the map I have! And I looooove the chevron on her grass skirt - hilarious!
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Dustycajun
Tiki Socialite
Joined: Nov 16, 2007
Posts: 3936
From: Santa Barbara, CA
| Posted: 2012-03-20 12:35 pm Permalink
I dug up some more cool stuff from the Chevron Island ad campaign.
Here is another hula girl ad - great artwork.
A service station poster.
Another poster advertising the Hula Dollars game.
A service station sign
And a photo with the sign at the pump.
This ad is from the kick-off of the Hula Dollars campaign in 1968.
Another ad for Hula Dollars.
You could win an Orchid aerial topper for your antenna.
Looks like they even dressed up the service station attendants with aloha shirts and leis.
There was also a drawing for a trip to Hawaii.
Finally, there was a program where you could get Hawaiian wood bowls for 49 cents at the service station.
A lot of Aloha in this cool ad campaign.
DC
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