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Shell Answer Man

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Shell Answer Man
AgencyOgilvy & Mather
ClientRoyal Dutch Shell
LanguageEnglish
MediaTelevision
Product
  • Vehicle maintenance
Release date1960s
Slogan
  • Come to Shell for answers
Starring

The Shell Answer Man was a series of television advertisements from the 1960s through the 1990s sponsored by Royal Dutch Shell in which answers were provided to common questions from the public about driving, with advice on vehicle maintenance, repair and safety, as well as guidance to users of home heating oil. Companion booklets, a series titled the Shell Answer Books, were inserted into major magazines and distributed as free giveaways at Shell gas stations.[1] The ads were aimed at typical drivers, helping inform them how to avoid wasting gasoline through such tips as not making jackrabbit starts, ensuring proper tire inflation, regular oil changes and proper basic maintenance of their vehicle, as well as guidance on how to get the most out of heating one's home.[2]

The campaign was developed in the late 1960s for Shell by the advertising firm of Ogilvy & Mather, a relationship that would continue for nearly four decades. Print ads addressed other oil uses, such as touting the benefits of switching to an oil-powered hot water heater[3] and reminding those using oil to heat their homes to make sure that they have enough oil in their tank before cold weather arrives.[4] In November 1999, Ogilvy & Mather announced that it would close its office in Houston, Texas, which had largely dedicated to the Shell account; when O&M closed the office in Houston it dropped other local accounts that it could no longer justify supporting.[5][6][7]

Actor and announcer Don Morrow appeared in the campaign in the 1960s, offering tips to drivers.[8] Actor Vince O'Brien landed the role of the Shell Answer Man in the late 1960s and 1970s, an opportunity he described in a newspaper interview as being "like hitting the state lottery." O'Brien's balding, mature appearance made him an effective authority figure in the campaign.[9] Actor Richard Anderson played the role of the Shell Answer Man from 1976 to 1982.[10][11]

References

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  1. ↑ Staff. "New Shell Oil Co. advertising campaign marks return of Shell Answer Man, answer booklets.", PR Newswire, March 8, 1990. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  2. ↑ Staff. "The Shell Answer Man and peak oil (parts 1 and 2)", Energy Bulletin, February 22, 2007. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  3. ↑ Advertisement. "Dear Shell Answer Man: How can I get more hot water faster", St. Petersburg Times, December 18, 1968.
  4. ↑ Advertisement. "Dear Shell Answer Man: Why should I buy heating oil now, Evening Independent, October 6, 1969. Accessed August 9, 2026.
  5. ↑ Hassell, Greg. "Ogilvy moving on, leaving Shell, city", The Houston Chronicle, November 17, 1999. Accessed August 9, 2026, via Newspapers.com. "After 30 years of creating the advertising for oil giant Shell Oil Co. - including the landmark Shell Oil Shell Answer Man campaign - Ogilvy & Mather has resigned the account and will shutter its Houston office."
  6. ↑ "Ad firm, Shell agree to part ways", Dallas Morning News, November 18, 1999. Associated Press. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  7. ↑ Elliott, Stuart. "The Media Business: Advertising; Three giant advertising agencies take actions to accommodate their growth in the global market". The New York Times, November 15, 1999. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  8. ↑ Staff. "Moving Beyond the Spots; Cablers Are Using Innovative Strategies to Close the Broadcast Advertising Gap.", Television Week, January 19, 2004. Accessed June 22, 2010.
  9. ↑ Levin, Jay. "Versatile actor Vince O'Brien", The Record, June 21, 2010. Accessed August 9, 2026, via Newspapers.com. "He was most recognizable, however, as the Shell Answer Man, in television and print ads for the petroleum company. Mr. O'Brien said in a 1969 interview with The Record that landing the Shell gig 'was so much like hitting the state lottery that I didn't even worry.'"
  10. ↑ "Anderson to get star on walk", The Desert Sun, October 22, 2007. Accessed August 9, 2026, via Newspapers.com. "Anderson is also remembered for serving as The Shell Answer Man in a series of commercials from 1976-82 and the spokesman for The Kiplinger Newsletter."
  11. ↑ Staff. "Richard Anderson", Turner Classic Movies. Accessed June 22, 2010.
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