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Even gas pumps have advertising videos now
Posted: Mon Jun 09, 2025 11:12 pm
by Grogan
I normally gas up in the Native community, where the gas is cheaper and it's full serve, so I hadn't seen one of these pumps yet until today, when I didn't have time and needed a quick pay at the pump fillup. So I went to the CircleJ (well, CircleK). As I'm pumping my gas, the Esso gas pump is playing advert videos and shameless plugs for their NHL sponsorship with loud audio and everything, and after that, CircleK products and specials etc. This is like a 14 inch screen on the thing
I've never seen that before, it's utterly ridiculous. It's not enough that it's $1.28/L, they have to subject me to rich media adverts while the gas pumps slowly (places like that always have the pumps slowed down to reduce spillage etc. for the typical maroon)
Re: Even gas pumps have advertising videos now
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2025 6:40 am
by Zema Bus
They've been doing that for a long time, at least where I used to live. Up until 15 years ago when I started working from home I stopped for diesel once a week in the local town near where I lived, and they had those blaring video screen ads. At my last fuel stop on my way to where I am now I was at a station in AZ and the pump didn't have any of that going on. It was the only working diesel pump set way in the back by itself to cater to big trucks and motorhomes.
Re: Even gas pumps have advertising videos now
Posted: Tue Jun 10, 2025 7:35 am
by Grogan
Yeah, I don't get out much. I'm sure they are common in the cities if they are here now. My first exposure to even pay at the pump was in the U.S. on a trip to Virginia to meet a lady friend. Pretty much as soon as I crossed the border the pumps were like that. I thought that was pretty cool. I lived in the Toronto area and to my knowledge, I'd not seen pumps like that in those days.
The other side of the coin, we went for a drive in the hills (Waynesboro area) and up near the top of this winding mountain road was a little gas station. I was inside paying and I forgot what the total was. I said, "you can see the totals from in here though, right?" and he said "Yup" and pulled out a pair of binoculars and looked through the window. I got a real kick out of that, in a "why didn't I think of that" kind of way
That's all the technology you need. 1970's era gas pumps and binoculars.