HOUSTON — Shell Lubricants is leading an effort to have the White House formally recognize the pickup truck as the "official vehicle of the United States."
To pay homage to the substantial role pickup trucks play in shaping the nation and working their way into all parts of American society, Shell said it is honoring the vehicle by leading a national Shell Rotella campaign, entitled "Pickup Pride."
"The campaign celebrates the achievements of hard-working Americans and highlights the pickup truck, which for almost a century, continues to support those who have given their blood, sweat, and tears to help build our country," said Megan Pino, global brand manager for Shell Rotella engine oil.
"The pickup truck exemplifies America's resilience and the work it takes to continue to build our communities and support our farms, both which deserve to be recognized."
There are milestones that need to be reached for the pickup truck to be recognized as the "Official Vehicle of the United States," according to Shell, including:
- A formal petition must be submitted on Whitehouse.gov. along with 100,000 signatures;
- The signatures must be collected within a 30-day period (Oct. 3 – Nov. 2, 2017); and
- After reaching the 100,000-signature goal, the petition will be placed into a queue for review by a standing group of White House staff and can still generate signatures from the American public while awaiting a response.
The petition is live and can be signed and shared. Once 100,000 signatures are collected and submitted, the government will read the petition and either move forward with the proposal or offer a response.
"The pickup truck has played an invaluable role in helping American men and women build our country from the ground up. Like other noteworthy American icons, such as the sport of baseball, the bald eagle, and the Star-Spangled Banner, the pickup truck deserves this official title," said Dave Waterman, North American marketing manager, Shell Lubricants.
The company has teamed up with vehicle customizer Tommy Pike of Tommy Pike Customs to modify two pickup trucks that will serve as mascots for the campaign and include the pickup trucks on the 2018 Tommy Pike Customs Tour.