What would you do if you found out that a gas station near your area is selling gasoline for 10 cents a liter? You would probably run out to fill up your car and tell everyone you know. Well, that is exactly what has happened in Santa Monica, where a real Chaos after this crazy offer. The person responsible for the idea? Nothing less than Amazon. And everything has an explanation.
Gasoline through the floors to promote The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel
If you have a good memory, you will remember that a few days ago we talked about the huge success of The Boys and how Amazon is gradually finding its place in the complicated and competitive market for on-demand streaming services. Among the other examples we put up of worthwhile titles was The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (The wonderful Mrs. Maisel), a comedy-drama television series set in the late 50s era that just so happens to have been nominated this year for no less than 20 Emmy Awards, including best comedy series or lead actress in a comedy series, among others.
To promote precisely this TV show, Amazon decided to launch the campaign «Maisel Day«, with which he got various stores in Santa Monica to lower the price of their products to the same cost they had in 1959. Among the offers was, neither more nor less than, the reduction of gasoline at a gas station in the city that it happened to cost some 10 cents per liter (30 cents a gallon, to be exact, which is how they measure in the US). It goes without saying that the discount spread like wildfire and in a matter of no time, half the city collapsed the gas station, causing a real chaos which even led the police to have to intervene and redirect traffic to decongest the queue of cars that had gathered there.
Santa Monica Police suspends an Amazon Prime promotion offering gas for 30 cents a gallon. Traffic issues are the big concern. Details coming up at 11am on ABC7. #maiselday pic.twitter.com/sJHQLcDUaK
- John Gregory (@ abc7johngregory) August 15
In addition to having to intercede with all users eager to fill up their vehicle tanks, the police ordered the withdrawal of the offer to Amazon, who obviously had to obey so as not to cause more commotion, although The Verge It has been reported that after a pause, Jeff Bezos's company managed to launch the promotion at the gas station again, this time in better coordination with the city police so as not to form the same queues as when it was launched.
2019 meets 1959. Talk about marvelous! How are you celebrating #MaiselDay today? ? #MrsMaisel pic.twitter.com/2OkUQztPCu
- The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (@MaiselTV) August 15
As we pointed out, the campaign has also brought discounts on other products, such as hot dogs or even movie tickets, although in none of the cases has it been as busy as at the gas station. It is not the first time that Amazon has done something like this. To promote the second season, he also lowered the price of sandwiches from the famous Carnegie Deli chain in New York to bring them closer to what they were at the end of the 50s. We can't deny that the idea is quite nice. When will the gasoline thing... for example... in Cádiz, Amazon?