There was this small gas station out in the middle of redneck country that was struggling to bring in more customers. Business was slow, and the owner, Hank, knew he had to do something bold. After a long night of brainstorming (and maybe a bit too much sweet tea), he came up with an idea and put up a huge sign the next morning that read: “FREE PRIZE WITH FILL-UP!”
But Hank wasn’t just giving away any prize—he wanted to keep it mysterious and exciting.
Not long after the sign went up, a local redneck named Earl rolled in with his rusty old pickup and a skeptical look.
“I saw the sign,” Earl said, stepping out of the truck. “I filled ‘er up. Now where’s my free prize?”
Hank smiled and said, “Ah, it’s a guessing game. If you guess the right number between 1 and 10, you win the prize.”
Earl scratched his head. “Alright… uh… 7!”
“Nope,” said Hank, “it was 3. But good try. Come back again!”
Grumbling a little, Earl got in his truck and drove off.
The next day, Earl came back. Filled up the tank again.
“Okay, this time I’m feeling lucky. The number is… 5!”
Hank shook his head. “Sorry, it was 8 today.”
This went on for several days. Earl came in, filled up, guessed a number, lost, and left more confused each time. But the gas was good, and he really wanted to win that mysterious prize.
On the fifth day, Earl brought his buddy Lester along.
“Lester,” Earl said, “you gotta help me win this thing. We’ll take turns guessing!”
Lester nodded. “We’ll crack the code.”
They filled up the tank, walked in proudly, and announced their guesses: “6 and 9!”
Hank grinned. “Today’s number was 4. So close! Better luck next time!”
As they drove off, Earl muttered, “I’m startin’ to think this game’s rigged.”
Lester, looking thoughtful, replied, “Yeah, but at least the gas is cheaper here than anywhere else.”
Earl nodded. “True. I guess Hank’s still winning.”
Which just goes to show—sometimes a little mystery and a lot of imagination can go a long way in marketing… especially when your customers are too curious (or stubborn) to quit.
