Posted by John Donovan: 7 June 2023

But wait, Shell conveniently forgets to mention their dirty little secret—most of their profits come from selling petrol and other high-carbon products.

In a shocking revelation, Shell’s deceptive ad campaign promoting its supposed green initiatives has been rightfully banned in the UK for its blatant attempt to mislead consumers. The oil giant conveniently failed to mention that the majority of its business relies on environmentally destructive fossil fuels, such as petrol.

Shell claims it will become a net-zero carbon energy company by 2050 while expanding its gas business, shamelessly ran TV, poster, and YouTube ads pushing renewable electricity, wind power, and car charging point initiatives. read more

John Donovan was a founding director of the promotional games company Don Marketing. In the 1980s and 1990s, Don devised a host of promotional games for Royal Dutch Shell around the world, including the award-winning game, “Make Money”.  He owns and operates several Shell-focused websites including royaldutchshellplc.com, shellplc.website and shellnazihistory.com

1984 Shell Make Money Game Created And Supplied By Don Marketing

Shell Mastermind Promotional Game Created And Supplied By Don Marketing

Shell Make Merry Harrods Linked Promotional Game Created And Supplied By Don Marketing

Shell Bruce’s Lucky Deal Promotional Game Created And Supplied By Don Marketing

UK VERSION

IRISH VERSION

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ALFRED DONOVAN LIBEL ACTION AGAINST SHELL IN APRIL 1995 ACTION No. 1995 D328

Marketing Week: Shell faces libel threat from Don: 31 March 1994

Sales Promotion agency Don Marketing is threatening to sue Shell UK for libel while at the same time circulating the results of a poll it claims to have carried out among Shell retailers.

The two companies are due to meet in court over Don’s accusation that Shell used its ideas in a series of promotions without permission or payment.

Don has sent a letter to Shell from solicitors acting for Don claiming a press release the company issued two weeks ago was defamatory and untrue (MW March 24) and is demanding a retraction. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: royaldutchshellplc.com

28 September 2019 Version

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

royaldutchshellplc.com is a Royal Dutch Shell gripe site and blog operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property agreements and filed several lawsuits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak and forum for Shell whistleblowers. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: royaldutchshellplc.com

02 April 2018 Version

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

royaldutchshellplc.com is a Royal Dutch Shell gripe site and blog operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property agreements and filed several lawsuits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak and forum for Shell whistleblowers. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: royaldutchshellplc.com

18 March 2015 Version

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

royaldutchshellplc.com is a Royal Dutch Shell gripe site and blog operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property agreements and filed several lawsuits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak and forum for Shell whistleblowers. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: Royaldutchshellplc.com

03 FEBRUARY 2013 VERSION

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

royaldutchshellplc.com is a Royal Dutch Shell gripe site and blog operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property agreements and filed several law suits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak and forum for Shell whistleblowers. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: Royaldutchshellplc.com

17 January 2012 VERSION

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

royaldutchshellplc.com is a Royal Dutch Shell gripe site and blog operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property agreements and filed several law suits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak and forum for Shell whistleblowers. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: Royaldutchshellplc.com

20 MAY 2010 VERSION

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

Royaldutchshellplc.com

royaldutchshellplc.com is a Royal Dutch Shell gripe site and blog operated by Alfred and John Donovan, who engaged in several marketing campaigns with Shell during the 1980s and early 1990s. The father and son duo believe Shell violated intellectual property agreements and filed several law suits against Shell prior to starting several websites critical of Shell, including royaldutchshellplc.com. The site has been oft quoted in news sources and is known for its activities as an Internet leak and forum for Shell whistleblowers. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: Royaldutchshellplc.com

04 February 2009 VERSION

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

Royaldutchshellplc.com

royaldutchshellplc.com is a gripe site operated by 91 year old Alfred Donovan and his 61 year old son John Donovan, which is critical of Royal Dutch Shell. On 11 June 2007, Ed Crooks of the Financial Times described it as “an anti-Shell website run by a father and son partnership that has been a long-running thorn in the company’s side.” On 25 January 2008, Carl Mortished, World Business Editor of The Times newspaper wrote an article headlined: “Shell chief fears oil shortage in seven years” in which he described the site as “an independent website that monitors the company.” During the course of a long feud between the Donovan’s and Shell, oil industry observers have speculated that the Donovan’s thwarted a Shell Texaco merger and cost Shell billions of pounds sterling in respect of its Sakhalin-2 project in Russia. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: Royaldutchshellplc.com

10 January 2007 VERSION

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

Royaldutchshellplc.com

The website royaldutchshellplc.com is operated by Alfred Donovan and his son John Donovan, both of whom are prolific long term critics of the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell. A press statement issued by Shell on 17 March 1995 provides an indication of the degree of acrimony already involved over a decade ago between Shell and the Donovan’s and the length of time the Donovan’s have utilised the world wide web as part of their campaigning activities against Shell. read more

Replica of the Wikipedia article: Royaldutchshellplc.com

13 August 2006 VERSION

The article text for the Wikipedia article royaldutchshellplc.com is displayed below for the above-indicated date – the content of which may be confirmed by Wikipedia records

Royaldutchshellplc.com

The website royaldutchshellplc.com is operated by Alfred Donovan and his son John Donovan, both of whom are critics of the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell.

The Internet provides a low cost public platform for anyone, even of modest means, to reach a global audience via what are known as “gripe” or “sucks” websites. It is the high-tech equivalent of having a soap box at “Speakers Corner” in Hyde Park, London – that long-established bastion of free speech. read more

Promotion & Incentives Magazine June 1998: Page 35

SPECIAL REPORT: CONFIDENTIALITY

Safe ideas

Philip Circus explains how to protect the parts of your work that copyright doesn’t reach

The issue of a writ by Don Marketing against Shell has, once again, thrown up the issue of promotional ideas and how they can be protected. Usually, the issue arises when an agency claims that a client or potential client has used, but not paid for, their idea.

The problem is that protecting pro­motional ideas and concepts is more difficult than protecting the tangible work which flows from that idea or concept. Actual artwork and copy is subject to copyright protection. read more

Incentive Today • July/August • 1995

The National Lottery has brought benefits to the promotional business, but there could be changes ahead given that the public is dissatisfied with the way it is being handled. Olivene Murray reports

EXTRACT FROM THE ARTICLE: 

John Donovan, managing director of Don Marketing, which produces a range of scratch-card games for on-pack promotions, also believes that the National Lottery has helped increase the popularity of scratch cards. But printer’s errors are a nightmare for scratch card producers, he admits. One of the horror stories he relates is when the Daily Mirror published an incorrect combi­ nation of ‘called numbers’ for its bingo-type game and left thousands of readers thinking they had won the game. read more

John Donovan letter published in Marketing Week magazine September 1991 Page 24 as part of a feature focussed on a Daily Express Promotion.

Expressing doubts over promotion

John Donovan letter

I was interested to read the letters from Alan Toop and Alan Frame commenting on your recent article, Express promotion reveals a prize flaw”.

Tops remarks imply the Express promotion was illegal, but that, in his opinion, the law needs liberalising. The law may or may not be an ass, but it is the law.  We are all free to campaign for change but, in the meantime, legislation should be respected and enforced. read more