Esso first used the tiger in its advertising in the early days of branded petrol which followed the end of rationing after the Second World War. Now, as we look back on the evolution of the image, it’s easy to see how the changes in the tiger, some subtle, others not quite so, have enabled the image to reflect different times and different values.

This first representation spoke of the new-found optimism after the years of shortage that came in the wake of World War II. It gave an identifiable face to a product where differentiation between the various suppliers was not always easy.

In the next phase of the tiger's existence, he assumed the aura of a cartoon superhero, contrasting humorously with the fashion at the time for baffling – and not always reliable – scientific improvements to the performance of petrol. "Put a tiger in your tank" became one of the most famous campaigns in advertising history, complete with merchandised 'comical'  tiger tail to fix around the petrol cap along with the bumper-sticker proclaiming 'I’ve got a tiger in my tank'. An astonishing 2,500,000 tails were sold.

The oil crisis of the early 1970s meant that little advertising activity took place at that time. Soon after, Esso decided to explain the company’s pioneering role in the North Sea with a new advertising campaign.

Enter the tiger. This time the real thing. Beautiful footage, specially shot by expert cameramen using animals trained by experienced handlers, breathed new life into the Esso tiger.

Save the Tiger

By the 1990s, however, conservationists were warning that tigers in the wild were in real danger of becoming extinct. As a company with such a close association with the tiger, Esso, together with its parent company, ExxonMobil, was instrumental in the establishment of the Save The Tiger Fund in 1995. A partnership between ExxonMobil, the National Fish and Wildlife Fund, and the Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund, the Save The Tiger Fund is dedicated to supporting the conservation of Asia’s remaining wild tigers.

ExxonMobil has provided $1 million annually to support the Save The Tiger Fund since its establishment. This represents one of the largest corporate commitments ever made to saving a species. ExxonMobil's funding enables Save the Tiger Fund to support projects that advance conservation science and conservation leadership, and improve the welfare of local people who share the land with wild tigers.

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