Fictional 'Dallas' Family Opening Real-Life Gas Station

DALLAS -- Life will imitate art on Feb. 24 when the fictional Ewing family, of "Dallas" fame, opens its first Ewing Energies gas station, which will offer gas at deeply discounted rates for one day.

The real-life station is a promotion to coincide with the start of the third season of the revamped TV show. The Ewing family -- who made its fortune in oil -- skyrocketed to fame in the nighttime drama during the 1980s, and at one point had the world asking, "Who shot J.R.?"

The location of the gas station will remain a secret until Feb. 24 at 8 a.m. Eastern time. "Dallas" fans will learn about the one-day event through a multi-media campaign, according to TNT, home of the show.

The Ewings like to do everything on a Texas-sized scale, so their gas prices will undercut the competition while supplies last. The Dallas gas station takeover campaign will feature a New York Times ad announcing the price cut, radio promotions, billboards, wrapped oil tankers and special video messages by John Ross Ewing (played by Josh Henderson) on Facebook, the network said.

"There's no better way to celebrate the return of 'Dallas' than with a promotion that is Texas-sized and audacious," said Tricia Melton, senior vice president of entertainment marketing and branding for TNT, TBS and Turner Classic Movies (TCM). "We're excited about unveiling the surprise location of Ewing Energies."

For those not near the flagship station, TNT will run a sweepstakes via the Dallas Facebook page, where fans have the chance to win a custom Black Gold Card with a $50 balance.

"Producing a campaign for TNT that effectively showcases how the world's most powerful fictional family, the Ewings, can blur the lines and wield enough power to change something in the real world is the type of work that Grey lives and breathes for," said Lisa Topol, executive creative director at Grey New York, the agency working with TNT on the activation. "Fans will just have to wait and see how generous the Ewings will be with the final price of gas."