Actors Keke Palmer and LaKeith Stanfield gave away free gasoline to fans at a Los Angeles Shell station on Tuesday morning [1].
The event served as a promotional stunt for their movie "I Love Boosters," which premiered in theaters on May 22 [2]. By providing free fuel, the actors said they aimed to draw public attention to the rising cost of living and soaring gasoline prices affecting residents in the U.S. [3].
The giveaway took place at a Shell station located on West Pico Boulevard in Los Angeles [1]. The actors operated a "boosted" pump, allowing drivers to fill their tanks at no cost. The stunt occurred one day before the film's official theatrical release [1].
During the event, Palmer said the current state of fuel pricing is problematic. She said gas prices reached $7 per gallon [3]. The high cost of fuel has become a significant point of contention for many consumers in California, a state often seeing some of the highest rates in the country.
While the promotion began as a celebratory event for the film, the gathering eventually drew law enforcement. Reports said that the event ended with police arriving at the scene [2]. Despite the intervention, the actors used the platform to merge movie marketing with a commentary on economic pressure [3].
“The actors said they aimed to draw public attention to the rising cost of living and soaring gasoline prices.”
This promotion reflects a growing trend of 'guerrilla marketing' where celebrities align product launches with social or economic grievances to gain authenticity. By highlighting the $7 per gallon price point, Palmer and Stanfield leveraged a genuine consumer pain point to generate organic social media traction and press coverage for their film's release.
