Petrol Advertising in the Twenties and Thirties: The Case of the British Petroleum Company

This paper reviews the fortunes of the British Petroleum Company (BP) on the interwar years and, in particular, its marketing/advertising in the post Great War environment.

Petrol Advertising in the Twenties and Thirties: The Case of the British Petroleum Company

R.W. FerrierBritish Petroleum Company plc

The British Petroleum Company, 1919-32

The formation of the British Petroleum Company dates from 21 November 1908, when it was established in London as a subsidiary of the Europaische Petroleum Union Gesellschaft (EPU), which itself had been founded in the previous June. It eventually became the distribution company of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company which was created in April 1909. The original capital was 500,000 in 50,000 shares of 10 each of which 49,431 were issued. It was concerned with the...

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