.jpg)
There I was, talking about the ESSO MAN keyring from the '60s in the comments section of a recent post, and whaddya know? One was on offer on eBay. This little fella will be winging his way to join me and my other collectables before you can say Esso Blue!
******
(Update 2024: Astoundingly, in a couple of months it will be 10 years since I bought this wee fella! The realisation that I've now had him for far, far longer (by many years) than I ever had my original is a painful reminder of just how quickly time passes when one is of a certain age. Brrrr! It only seems like a couple of years since I first published this post.)
He does have a head like a yellow Opal Fruit after you've been squeezing it in your fingers for a bit. He's a strange looking wee fella, isn't he? Is his head meant to be a flame or a drop of oil?
ReplyDeleteI'd always assumed it was a flame, GB, but now that you mention it, it could be meant to be a drop of oil or petrol. What colour would that have been?
ReplyDeleteBlack ?
ReplyDeleteWell, Castrol GTX motor oil wasn't black, so I doubt Esso's would have been either. There are different kinds of oils, you see.
ReplyDeleteOh, I see - I was thinking of crude oil I suppose, sorry.
ReplyDeletePetrol is orange, or it used to be, not sure that unleaded has the same dye in it. It is a flame btw, they used to have an animated ad with little men just like that and their heads were all aquivering, as if aflame, not dripping on the floor like drops of oil.
ReplyDeleteNo need to apologise, Col - you were right about crude oil and that's what you were thinking of, after all.
ReplyDelete******
That's what I always thought, DSE - but could the head have been quivering due to it representing a 'fluid' oil-drop? The reason I ask is because I've just checked the eBay ad and the seller describes the head as being a drop of oil.
There's always someone that favors drops over tigers!
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of which, I recall a female Esso drop shows up in this classic film!
https://vimeo.com/10149605
Thanks, Chris, I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteIt's a little clunky and demeaning in places (Mr. Clean is GAY), yet the one consolation and the only thing I ever cared about was noticing these French guys somehow out of all the logos to showcase in this short, they picked one to a defunct local supermarket chain that use to be several blocks from my house (I went there all the time for my late mother). I kinda had to give them a pass there though I'm sure they could care less of my hometown's significance.
ReplyDeletehttp://vintagetoledotv.squarespace.com/picture/foodtown750514.jpg?pictureId=14791498
To be honest, Chris, I only watched up until I saw the Esso Girl - then I noticed the whole thing ran for at least 15 minutes and I turned it off. Might watch it again later maybe.
ReplyDeleteThat explains most people's thoughts on this thing. Basically she shacks up with Big Boy in the end after the typical Hollywood car chase to oblivion, there I spoiled it! Could you believe this won an Oscar? :-/
ReplyDeleteH'mm. I'd have to watch the whole thing before I could offer a considered judgement, but now I don't need to because you told me how it ends. (Phew!)
ReplyDeleteYeah I'm such a snitch!
ReplyDeleteAnd thank goodness for it. Now, how does Titanic end again? (Oh, that's right - the ship sinks.)
ReplyDelete