BP Babies Sell Green Gasoline

Slate reviews the new creepy cartoon commercials for BP. The most recent, embedded above, suggests that BP is the gas station of choice for environmentally-responsible babies with drivers licenses:

BP hopes to cement itself as the most "green" of the massive oil companies. To this end, the ad shows little windmills in the background. Also, BP service stations (there are more than 11,000 in the United States alone) have switched from plastic to paper bags at their convenience stores, and hand out trading cards with environmentally sensitive tips for kids (for instance: Use both sides of the paper when you color)….

BP wants its logo (that flower/sun thingy, known as the "helios") to be the shorthand promise of a satisfying and environment-friendly service-station experience. These ads are not a bad effort on that score. But ultimately, I think gas-station choice will always come down to price, convenience, and maybe a quick eyeing of the grounds just to make sure they're not intolerably disgusting.

For more on BP's misguided efforts to become the greenest gas company (and more musings on the flower/sun thingy) check out "The Age of Corporate Environmentalism."