ATLANTA -- Cable network TNT and agency Grey NY are opening a real-life Ewing Energies gas station to help promote the third season of the revived Dallas TV series, according to a report by Fast Company.
While the exact location will be secret until Feb. 24, when the show premieres, the agency said the station will be exactly how the Ewings would operate--including severely undercutting the local competition on price. The one-off effort will have radio promotions, billboards, wrapped oil tankers and a special video message by John Ross Ewing (played Josh Henderson) on Facebook.
"When you think about Dallas, you think about the Ewings, a family who is arguably the most powerful family in fiction," Grey NY executive creative director Lisa Topol told the publication. "And we thought, what better way to demonstrate that power than to literally blur the lines of fiction and have them break through into the real world? All in all, bringing Ewing Energies to life and making it a real world player at the pump felt like the right move."
"There are stunts, and then there are experiences," she said. "This isn’t just about filming something and making a video showing people responding in shock or surprise. This is about people really experiencing (and in this case benefiting from) the power of the Ewings."
The agency said this isn't a partnership with an existing oil brand, just with one independent owner/operator.
Dallas centers on the Ewing clan, an enormously wealthy Texas family whose sibling rivalries, romantic betrayals, corruption and even murder are legendary. The show brings back three iconic stars from the original series: Patrick Duffy as Bobby Ewing, Linda Gray as Sue Ellen Ewing and Larry Hagman as J.R. Ewing. They are joined by the next generation of Ewings. Josh Henderson is John Ross, the son of J.R. and Sue Ellen Ewing, while Jesse Metcalfe is Christopher, Bobby's adopted son. Jordana Brewster also stars as Elena Ramos, John Ross' girlfriend and Christopher's former fiancee, while Julie Gonzalo is Rebecca Sutter, Christopher's wife. Brenda Strong stars as Bobby's wife, Ann.
Click here to view the full Fast Company report and additional images.