Saving the 76 Ball, for Tomorrow's Children

Taking pictures of surviving Union 76 gas station "ball" signs has become a historic duty for future generations.  First introduced in 1962, the magnificent orange 76 orbs have become an icon of the urban California landscape, and it's stupid unfortunate that ConocoPhillips, Unocal's new owner, has decided to mess with such a wonderful -- and successful -- design.

Some have taken to to calling for a boycott.  Here's the text of an Internet petition organized by the preservationists at savethe76ball.com:

TO: ConocoPhillips

We, the undersigned, as consumers with an abiding fondness for the striking, historic and uniquely Californian blue and orange ball-shaped Union 76 logo, be it on tall metal poles or car antennae (since 1967), hereby call on ConocoPhillips to reconsider their alteration of the 115-year-old brand, to cease replacing spherical blue and orange 76 balls at gas stations with flattened blue and red disks, and to restore the beloved spheres to the poles where they belong.

If ConocoPhillips does not demonstrate greater respect for the the history and goodwill associated with the blue and orange 76 ball, we will be taking our business to other gas sellers. This petition is being launched on January 31, six days after ConocoPhillips posted fourth quarterly earnings of $3.7 Billion, and we call for a sincere response to our concerns before the announcement of their next second quarterly earnings.

Save the 76 Ball.  And don't do it for us... do it for the children.

"Save the 76 Ball" activist website: LINK

"Orange 76 Ball Must Roll: Corporate Conformity Claims Another Victim (ABC News): LINK

Mark Frauenfelder witnesses the sad Death of a 76 Ball: LINK

Comments

[Rick Overton]

Boycott an oil company to preserve a marketing symbol? Sometimes I forget that you guys don't actually have many real political contests down there in the Free Republic, but the rest of us are actually pre-occupied with holding back the Hessian advances and defeating the proto-fascists funded by blood money from The Club For Growth and Satan. Oh, and upsetting the Bowl Championship Series. Go Broncos!

[Tom F.]

First, the Doggie Diner heads, and now this. Is nothing sacred?