John Oliver has a message for Buc-ee’s: Buc off.
The Last Week Tonight host is trolling the beloved convenience center chain with a limited-edition line of parody merchandise after mocking what he described as the company’s aggressive efforts to police its trademark.
Founded in Texas in 1982, Buc-ee’s has become famous for its roadside mega-stores and its logo featuring a grinning cartoon beaver in a red baseball cap.
During a recent episode of his show, the host accused the Texas-founded gas station giant of “outright bullying” other companies with “frivolous” trademark infringement lawsuits.
“It turns out Buc-ee’s loves to sue other companies, particularly those with animal mascots,” Oliver, 49, said.
The British comedian played a news clip featuring Jarrad Hewett, founder of the small apparel brand Nut Huggers, who recalled receiving a letter from Buc-ee’s demanding he stop using “cartoons, rodents, the colors red, yellow and brown, baseball hats, and only front-facing images.”
“The initial request came in a little hot and heavy,” Hewett said. “They suggested they owned all cartoon rodents.”
“Oh come on, Buc-ee’s! You don’t own all cartoon rodents,” Oliver exclaimed before rattling off several famous examples, including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Stuart Little.
Reacting to the company’s “ridiculous” list of demands, the Emmy-winning host called them out for inconsistencies.
“If front-facing images are OK, why the f*** did Buc-ee’s go after the Teddy’s [Market] koala? That bear is looking you right in the eyes. He is peering into your very soul,” Oliver quipped, describing “Buc-ee’s constant complaint that no one else has the right to use animal logos” as “absurd.”
He noted that the company has won a majority of its lawsuits after several of the defendants settled. “And that’s probably because most just don’t have the resources to fight a company this big,” the host said.
“We very much have the will to get into a fight with Buc-ee’s,” Oliver flouted, introducing a new line of merchandise, called Buc-Off, which is available for purchase on Buc-Off.com until September 8. All proceeds will be donated to Hunger Free America.
The merchandise of clothing, umbrellas, and water tumblers features Last Week Tonight’s squirrel mascot, Mr. Nutterbutter, inside a yellow circle.
“If any prominent gas station chain out there has an issue with our new logo and products and wants to get lawyers involved, then you know what? Bring it the f*** on,” Oliver dared. “The next move is yours.”
The Independent has contacted Buc-ee’s for comment.
Buc-ee’s has filed more than a dozen lawsuits, mostly against small businesses that have used cartoon animals for their logos. In a March lawsuit against Ohio-based gas station Mickey’s, obtained by The Independent, Buc-ee’s claimed that its logo featuring a smiling cartoon moose set against a red hexagon was confusing customers, affecting its “iconic brand.”
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