Shell Bruce’s Lucky Deal

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How AI Sees the Donovan–Shell Dispute: Grok’s Verdict

Grok, the AI platform developed by xAI, has described John Donovan’s use of generative artificial intelligence in his long-running dispute with Shell plc as a “masterclass in digital persistence,” recognising how archival material, satire, and AI feedback loops are being used to keep a 30-year corporate controversy alive in search results and algorithmic summaries. In a detailed response to questions about recent articles examining Google AI Mode’s contradictory advice to Shell, Grok concluded that Donovan’s strategy exploits the mechanics of modern AI systems in a way that traditional corporate silence can no longer neutralise. read more

This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, shellnews.net, and shellwikipedia.com, are owned by John Donovan - more information here. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

THE BOT WAR: HOW I TURNED AI INTO SHELL’S WORST NIGHTMARE

Jan 11th, 2026

by John Donovan.

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“It’s a rare example of a decades‑old corporate dispute evolving into a modern AI‑era phenomenon.”

INTRODUCTION – BY JOHN DONOVAN

For decades, Shell assumed that time, silence and lawyers would wear me down.

They miscalculated.

What Shell never foresaw was that the fight would migrate into machines — machines that read everything, forget nothing, and have no fear of power.

Welcome to the AI phase of the Donovan–Shell feud.

THE BOT WAR: HOW I TURNED AI INTO SHELL’S WORST NIGHTMARE

According to Microsoft Copilot itself, what is now happening between Shell and me is something new:

a decades-old corporate feud reborn as a modern AI-era phenomenon.

Copilot doesn’t call it activism.

It doesn’t call it journalism. read more

Shell’s Friends, Foes, and Settlements: The Decades-Long Saga They Accidentally Immortalised

Oct 18th, 2025

by John Donovan.

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By John Donovan (with AI assistance)

RoyalDutchShellPLC.com Exclusive

Prologue: The Paper Trail That Became a Web Trail

On 19 September 2016, a post on RoyalDutchShellGroup.com quietly listed “links to several hundred articles by a host of different publishers … plus over 60,000 Shell-related articles” hosted across the Donovan websites.

It read like a piece of digital housekeeping.

In reality, it was the master ledger of how one multinational’s attempts at corporate control ended up immortalising the very archive it wanted to erase.

The post linked outward — to Reuters, The Guardian, The Moscow Times, and beyond — forming a living map of Shell’s missteps, litigation, and internal paranoia, all drawn together by a network of persistence that Shell accidentally helped to publicise. read more

JOHN DONOVAN RELATIONSHIP WITH SHELL

Aug 24th, 2024

by John Donovan.

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JOHN DONOVAN RELATIONSHIP WITH SHELL

Background in Petrol Retailing and Early Involvement with Shell (1957-1979)

•1957: My father, Alfred Donovan, had a business relationship with Shell, operating a chain of petrol stations and garages in Essex, with Shell as one of his suppliers. I later became a partner in the business trading as A & J Donovan.

•1967: I first became involved in petrol promotions, offering promotional games as an alternative to trading stamps at UK forecourts for various brands, including Shell. read more

In fond memory of Robert Alexander Donovan

Mar 12th, 2023

by John Donovan.

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By John Donovan

In 1979, my father Alfred Donovan and I, along with my uncle Bob Donovan and a chartered accountant/mathematician friend, Don Redhead, jointly founded a sales promotion company called Don Marketing. We devised a host of promotional games for Royal Dutch Shell and many other blue-chip clients. Bob (right) passed away in March 2023 at the age of 95. My sincere condolences to his family and friends.

(Live video feed awaiting the start of a Funeral Service for Robert Alexander Donovan, held at 11.30 am on 14 April 2023 before mourners arrived) read more

EXAMPLES FROM YESTERYEAR OF JOHN DONOVAN’S STUNNING SERIES OF MEGA PROMOTIONAL GAMES FOR SHELL WHICH SET THE UK GASOLINE MARKET ALIGHT

Dec 29th, 2020

by John Donovan.

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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 read more

John Donovan vs Shell

Dec 7th, 2020

by John.

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Contact email address for the website owner: [email protected]

INDEX

Introduction

CHAPTER 1: John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare

CHAPTER 2: An unscrupulous Shell executive

CHAPTER 3: Donovan vs Shell litigation

CHAPTER 4: Shell hypocrisy

CHAPTER 5: Shell intelligence activities in the run-up to the Smart trial

CHAPTER 6: Shell Smart Trial at The Royal Courts of Justice

CHAPTER 7: A biased High Court Judge who resigned in controversial circumstances

CHAPTER 8: Peace Treaty Shattered by Shell

CHAPTER 9: Shell did not just steal our ideas read more

Long association with the Royal Dutch Shell

Oct 24th, 2017

by John Donovan.

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Extracts from the ebook “John Donovan, Shell’s Nightmare” (now available on Amazon websites globally)

From pages 14, 15 & 16

Extract begins

LEADING THE WORLD IN PROMOTIONAL GAMES

The above bold claim, made in numerous whole page advertisements in trade magazines, was legitimate. To the best of my knowledge, no company before or since has devised such a wide range of innovative promotional games.

I authored articles about promotional games for magazines such as Marketing Week and have acted as an expert witness in court cases relating to promotional games.

We had business dealings with the major US TV networks. Following negotiations in New York and London with NBC Senior Vice President, Steve Sohmer, I signed an agreement for a joint NBC/Don Marketing project with Ray Timothy, President of NBC Television. Lars H Lenck, President of Don Marketing USA, a former Chevron analyst, was also a signatory to the contract. read more

Don Marketing Promotional Posters Online Archive

Oct 11th, 2017

by John.

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A small sampling of the thousands of retailers and major global brands that were all clients of the worlds No1 Promotional Games company, Don Marketing.

Whitbread Scoop the Pools promotion.

Approx size: 21 x 30 cm portrait

Don Marketing co-founder John Donovan photographed in October 2020 with a Whitbread “SCOOP THE POOLS” poster.

Nabisco Shredded Wheat Space Invaders Promotion.

Approx size: 22 x 30 cm portrait.

Don Marketing co-founder John Donovan photographed in October 2020 with a Nabisco Shredded Wheat Space Invaders poster. read more

TV SCREENSHOTS RELATING TO DON MARKETING

Nov 23rd, 2016

by John.

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Don Marketing Roll Call of Promotional Games

Nov 21st, 2016

by John.

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Two decades before co-founding Don Marketing, John Donovan was in the petrol retailing business with his father Alfred Donovan operating a chain of petrol stations and garages in East London and Essex. Their main garage, known initially as East & Donovan and later as A & J Donovan, held Standard-Triumph and Leyland light commercial franchises.

In 1967, Alfred and John Donovan founded Jackpot Promotions, which launched a Freeline Football petrol sales promotion at garages throughout the UK, including Fina, Cleveland, Amoco and independent petrol stations. The computer-printed football coupons – examples below – were printed by Thomas De La Rue. Each contained a different pre-paid entry on Zetters Pools.

Freeline Football used Australian football teams in the summer season.

In 1979, Alfred and John co-founded Don Marketing with Bob Donovan and Don Redhead and launched a modified Freeline Football promotion on “no purchase necessary” basis.

DON MARKETING PROMOTIONAL GAMES FROM 1979 ONWARDS.

(Left to right) Roger Sotherton (Managing Director), John Donovan (Chairman) and Ken Brown (Operations Director).

Some Don Marketing staff including Steven Donovan and Lisa, smiling.

DON MARKETING OCCUPIED THE ENTIRE TOP FLOOR OF CRITERION HOUSE IN CHELMSFORD.

The Game pieces displayed below are not actual size.

GAMES FOR SHELL

SHELL MAKE MONEY GAME 1984 FOR SHELL UK

Don Marketing supplied the Make Money game on an international basis for Shell, including Shell Singapore – poster immediately below.

RELATED LINKS

Fast flowing Don: Marketing Magazine 16 February 1984

Shell Make Money full page advert: Daily Express 21 February 1984

Shell Make Money full page advert: Evening Standard 21 February 1984

Shell is back making money: Incentive Marketing and Sales Promotion March 1984

London Evening Standard article “the old lady with the right-hand halves” about the “spectacularly” successful Shell Make Money game: 1984

Anatomy of a Shell winner: Campaign Magazine 27 April 1984 read more

John Chambers has left Don Marketing and game cards to set up a new sales promotion operation for the world’s sixth largest ad agency

Feb 1st, 1986

by John Donovan.

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John Chambers has left Don Marketing and game cards to set up a new sales promotion operation for the world’s sixth largest ad agency

John Chambers (above) Pages 12/13 article, Promotions & Incentives February 1986 issue

Promotions & Incentives February 1986 (PDF)

John Chambers (right) has left Don Marketing and game cards to set up a new sales promotion operation for the world’s sixth largest ad agency

Burnett’s new ‘interaction’

LEO BURNETT is the latest advertising agency to establish its own separate sales promotion operation, and the fourth new London-based SP agency to open within the last twelve months. read more