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Shell Make Merry

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

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

Groningen gas: 80% of the homes in this village are being demolished

Jun 15th, 2021
by John Donovan.
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DutchNews.nl

Groningen gas: 80% of the homes in this village are being demolished

June 14, 2021 – By Pierre Felcenloben

In Groningen, work is continuing to clear up the damage caused by extracting millions of cubic metres of gas from under the province. For the residents of the village of Overschild, this means demolishing and rebuilding almost every building. 

Thousands of people have been affected by damage to their homes due to subsidence in the region, which sits above Europe’s largest gas field and has been exploited by NAM, a joint venture set up by Shell and Esso, since 1963. read more

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

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

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

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

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

CHAPTER 1: John Donovan, Shell’s nightmare

Nov 14th, 2018
by John.
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The name of my Amazon Kindle book – “John Donovan, Shell’s nightmare” is not an ego-driven title dreamt up by me, but the headline of an article by an award-winning newspaper journalist, Christoph Giesen published across the EU in ten languages.

A broadsheet German daily newspaper, Süddeutsche Zeitung published a major article about me on 20 March 2012 under the headline “Konzernfeind No. 1.”

The article by Christoph Giesen told the story of my epic feud with the oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, a former client of the multinational company I co-founded, Don Marketing. read more

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

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

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

Don Marketing Website Archival Information

Oct 12th, 2017
by John.
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Some Don Marketing Games from the 1980s

COPY OF INFORMATION PUBLISHED ON Don-Marketing.com and “Images File” webpage (with more images added in 2020)

An article published by Prospect Magazine in February 2007 authored by Derek Brower, senior correspondent of Petroleum Economist, provides an overall background to the disputes between Royal Dutch Shell and Alfred Donovan and his son, John.

Rise of the gripe site: How two men and a website humbled one of the oil industry giants

Picture of John Chambers and John Donovan

John Donovan (right) and John Chambers
at Don Marketing Hornchurch offices in 1984
 
For more photos see Don Marketing Photo File donmarketingphotofile.html

Don Marketing was founded by Alfred Donovan, Bob Donovan, John Donovan and their fondly remembered friend and business partner, chartered accountant, Don Redhead (deceased). Alfred, Bob and John are all retired from commercial activity. John Chambers was managing director during the most successful years of Don Marketing which, following a series of court actions with Shell, ceased trading some years ago. read more

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

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

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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

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

Shell Make Merry Harrods linked promotional game created and supplied by Don Marketing

Nov 2nd, 1984
by John.
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In the Autumn of 1984, Don Marketing devised a Make Merry” scratch card game linked to Harrods, with the idea that Shell would give away on their forecourts millions of Harrods food prizes. Before we disclosed the concept to Shell, we discussed initial arrangements with Harrods for the design of the card and the supply of Harrods food product prizes. The concept was enthusiastically accepted by Shell. We negotiated the purchase of over £2 million pounds worth of goods from Harrods on behalf of Shell, including 6 million mince pies and £10,000 Harrods Shopping Spree prizes. The promotion was launched in the last quarter of 1984 and featured in a Channel News TV report. read more

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