Original Save The 76 Ball T-Shirts, Buttons and More
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We Won!
Submitted by kim on Sun, 21/01/2007 - 11:25am. 76 ball | citizen activism | corporations | drupal | focus groups | historic preservation | ray pedersen
Nearly one year after we launched our campaign asking ConocoPhillips to reconsider their "destroy all balls" policy towards the historic blue and orange Union 76 Ball gas station signs, the Texas energy giant announced to the Wall Street Journal that they have changed their course. Focus groups held last fall told them what nearly 3000 signers of the Save the 76 Ball petition have already told us: people love the 76 Balls, and don't want them to disappear.
The 76 Balls that come off their poles are no longer being smashed or cut into pieces, but being preserved for donation to museums like the American Sign Museum, Petersen Automotive Museum, NASCAR Hall of Fame, Museum of Neon Art and perhaps even the Smithsonian! And a new type of 76 Ball, colored red rather than orange, will soon be installed at up to 100 gas stations in the west.
But there are still good reasons for signing our petition. We believe that a select few historically and architecturally significant orange 76 Balls should remain where they have always glowed and spun, like at William Pereira's modernist 76 station in Beverly Hills, one of the spheres along Highway One in Malibu, and the station in Marysville, WA where 76 Ball designer Ray Pedersen buys his gas. Also, ConocoPhillips has declared that no private individuals will be able to get a 76 Ball, which will be a disappointment to our campaign's supporter Michael Madsen. We respectfully ask that ConocoPhillips reconsider this policy, and present one 76 Ball to the individual who conceived, designed and hand-painted the first 76 Ball for the 1962 Seattle World's Fair: Ray Pedersen.
And most importantly, we ask that ConocoPhillips commit to pay all costs associated with crating and shipping donated 76 Balls to the selected museums, thus enjoying greater tax benefits and sparing these institutions from having to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars out of their limited budgets in order to receive the gift of the 76 Ball.
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who has supported this campaign through 2006 and into 2007. This is inspiring proof that citizens have the power to reach large corporations and inspire positive change.
» kim's blog | 2 comments
Turn Those 76 Balls On!
Submitted by kim on Thu, 18/01/2007 - 4:34pm. 76 ball | atwater village | black top | los angelesEarlier today, Nathan and I were interviewed for a new automotive-themed television series called Black Top, with the 76 Ball on Glendale Boulevard in Atwater Village as the backdrop. The number 76 was not quite in the shot, and Nathan suggested he might go ask the station manager to set the ball spinning. Much to our shock and delight, the manager agreed, and by throwing just one switch gave the sign a much needed jolt of kinetic energy. We reckon that one of the other switches in the panel would have illuminated the ball, though this would not have been visible in bright sunlight.
And it was this inspiring experience that inspired us to ask you, oh lovers of the 76 Ball, to take a moment whenever you pass a 76 station which still flies its proud orange and blue colors and ask the manager to please make the ball spin. If it's dark out, ask that they light it, too. Heck, you can even offer to buy some gas in exchange! There aren't many 76 Balls left on their poles, and we fervently believe that every one of them should enjoy however many days, weeks, months or years it has left by spinning and glowing, just like Ray Pedersen designed it to do.
Together we can turn those 76 Balls on. Save the 76 Ball -- it's not too late!
The Sacramento Mystery Ball In Motion
Submitted by kim on Mon, 08/01/2007 - 9:17pm. 76 ball | blue | mystery | red | sacramentoJeremy Sanford shot this live action footage of the one known example of a 3D 76 Ball in the new red and blue color scheme. ConocoPhillips is tearing down all the classic orange balls; why did they erect one red ball in Sacramento?
"ConocoPhillips Has Bigger Problems..."
Submitted by kim on Sun, 07/01/2007 - 9:43am. funny | houston | instructions | memo | parking | texasSo says an anonymous reader who emailed to share the following memo, recently circulated to employees of the oil company's Houston office:
Subject: Garage Safety Meetings January 4 & 5
…………………………………...
Presentations on garage safety will be held in the West side special events area of the cafeteria.
Information to be covered will include: how to enter the garage
how to exit the garage
where to park
how to enter the COP main building
Please mark your calendar.
**
Our reader further explained: "CoP just built a new garage/office building in place of a good old flat parking lot. Apparently there are some special credentialing issues involved. My bud has said they've made it so complicated he'll just park in the visitor slots.
This did conjure up some other funnies though, such as courses on going to the toilet and walking while carrying hot coffee. It provided a few engineers laughs for an afternoon."
And how about a course on not throwing away one of the best signage designs of the 20th century?
