NEW YORK -- TNT celebrated the Season 3 premiere of Dallas--a revival of the prime-time TV soap about the lives of a family of Texas oilmen that ran from 1978–1991 on CBS--by taking over a BP gas station in Manhattan and rebranding it as a Ewing Energies station for a day and lowering the price of gasoline.
The producers kept the station's location a secret until Monday, Feb. 24, the series' premiere date, but "spoiled" it on Facebook late Sunday with a hint that it would be in New York City. The official announcement on Facebook on Monday said, "Well, well. ... Gas prices haven't been this low since daddy was in power: $1.98 a gallon. Let's see how the competition likes that. I'll see ya at the pump." The accompanying image revealed the station's address.
TNT also posted a video announcement on Facebook.
Actor Josh Henderson (John Ross Ewing III) was on hand for a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Ewing Energies station and to announce the slashed prices, according to a report by WeLoveSoaps.net, which also posted images.
TNT is also running a sweepstakes via the Dallas Facebook page, where fans have the chance to win a custom Black Gold Card with a $50 balance.
"There's no better way to celebrate the return of Dallas than with a promotion that is Texas-sized and audacious," said Tricia Melton, senior vice president of entertainment marketing and branding for TNT, TBS and TCM. "We're excited about unveiling the surprise location of Ewing Energies."
"Producing a campaign for TNT that effectively showcases how the world's most powerful fictional family, the Ewings, can blur the lines and wield enough power to change something in the real world is the type of work that Grey lives and breathes for," said Lisa Topol, executive creative director at Grey New York, the agency working with TNT on the activation. "Fans will … see how generous the Ewings will be with the final price of gas."
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