Selling Nostalgia: An interview with Harry Groves of Petrolia

Remember when cars were aspirational? When even everyday cars such as the humble MK3 Golf (seen above) were a thing of beauty, a level to reach, something that you went to work everyday with an aim of owning? Well, perhaps we’re overstating it a little, but that’s exactly what manufacturers and OEMs wanted you to think, to believe, to work towards. How did they get this notion across to Joe Public you ask? Advertising, of course.

These days, it’s hard to believe that there was such an art form to creating print adverts for vehicles. In the modern era, high-level supercars and sports cars don’t advertise - they don’t need to - whilst family-friendly choices are pitched on their practicalities, fuel economy or pricing, not because they’re cool, sexy or interesting in any way; they are sold to appeal to our heads, not our hearts.

Thankfully, there are some that both appreciated these artworks in-period, and had the foresight to save them, squirrel them away and preserve them for future generations to enjoy, appreciate and display.

By definition, that also means there are people out there hunting down these automotive treasures, and Harry Groves - the man behind the ever-growing Petrolia brand - is one such person.

With the SHIFT brand and product line being heavily influenced by such artworks, we sat down with Harry - a fellow 20-something year old - to see what made him tick, why he loves these smart, quick-witted and influential adverts, and what advice he had for those looking to start out with their own business.

[SHIFT] Hi Harry, thanks for sitting down with us and being a part of SHIFT. Lets start at the beginning - what sparked your interest in period advertising? Was it growing up seeing the adverts for yourself when they were fresh, or was it an interest that came later in life for you?

[Harry] Growing up I have always had a huge addiction to cars or anything with an engine. my interest always leaned more towards 80s/90s cars. Being 21 i never grew up in the era to experience many of the cars from this period, so i would hunt through the internet to find out the history behind the icons of the 90s. Then I found all of the incredible adverts that were made during this period, so the hunting began.

“In my opinion, bmw and porsche ruled the advertising game in the 80s and 90s”

[S] Is there one particular advert / print that has always stuck with you from your research? Do you have a ‘holy grail’ advert you’d love to find one day?

[H] In my opinion, BMW and Porsche ruled the advertising game in the 80s and 90s, however, my favourite advert that I have found so far would have to be the Mazda Le Mans advert, including the RX-7 and the 787B. With regards to the ‘holy grail’ there are a few particular adverts i would love to find, the two that stand out the most would have to be Porsches “One ride and you'll understand why most rocket scientist are German” or the “it gets a little louder above 5000 rpm so you can't hear the passenger scream” 911 Turbo adverts.

[S] What inspired you to start collecting and, ultimately, selling these prints?

[H] I began to source just a few of these adverts to keep for my personal collection, but it quickly turned into an addiction. I felt as though I was opening a pack of Pokemon cards and hoping to find a rare card. In order to sell some of these rare adverts that you cannot really find anywhere online, I created an Instagram page to advertise them on, which immediately led to the sale of all of them.

[S] Within the Petrolia catalogue (at the time of writing) there are a lot of German and Italian-centric products on offer. Is this a conscious choice, or is it a case that the availability/aesthetics of these adverts is far greater than those of Asian or American equivalents?

[H] Living in the UK, I find it very difficult to source many Asian or American adverts; I have found some JDM adverts, but they are mainly European cars. However, in my opinion (and in the opinion of Petrolia’s followers) the likes of BMW, Porsche, Volvo, Ferrari, etc, had the best adverts! That said, I am looking towards branching out to find some more US and Asian adverts.

[S] Often these retro adverts have far more of a visual impact than modern adverts from automotive manufacturers; in your opinion, what is it about these classic adverts that give them such presence and impact compared to their modern-day counterparts?

[H] During the 80s/90s I feel like there was a lot more freedom of speech within advertising, so it wasn’t seen as such a big deal if you threw some shade at another company, which i love as it adds some tension and a bit of fun for the brand, something you don't seem to find in advertisements anymore, unfortunately.

[S] Is running Petrolia your full-time job now, or are you managing this alongside another career?

[H] I am still managing another job in the building trade, which was my main job before I started Petrolia, though I have been able to step back from that slightly due to the success of Petrolia. It can be difficult managing them both but it keeps you on your toes, and when it's something you love, it doesn't feel like work….

[S] You recently traded in-person at the RollHard x Bicester Heritage show; how did you find this, compared to selling through your site?

[H] Taking my online business that I started out of my bedroom to an event like Rollhard felt very surreal! I was very nervous and it took months of planning and many late nights before the event to get ready, and I couldn't have done it without the boys helping me - shout out to Toby and Luke for that!

But, once set up and the nerves had calmed, I had an amazing time. I Met some fantastic people and heard some wonderful feedback from many people at the event, including customers that had purchased from me before and were wearing my merch! It was a day I’ll never forget.

[S] As a small business startup, have you faced any particular challenges along the the way?

[H] It can be difficult at times running this business by myself, but my friends have always been there to help when I need it. My biggest struggle has been finding a good postal service that would assure safe shipping worldwide. I used a few companies that had terrible wait times and took bad care of the parcels, which wasn't good enough! However, as time has gone on i have gotten a lot more productive and I’ve gotten used to running the business by myself.

[S] For anyone reading this that is looking to launch their own brand or small business, do you have words of wisdom to share?

[H] As corny as it sounds, just do it! Stop overthinking about if you will fail or what people will think about you; who cares? If it's something you are passionate about then do it for yourself. Success doesn't come overnight but when it does, the hard work you put in feels very rewarding!

[S] Looking to the future, what are your next big goals/aims for Petrolia as a brand?

[H] I would definitely love to do more in-person events to push the brand out further. The next plan is to start selling more original automotive memorabilia from the 70s-90s other than just adverts. This is something a lot of customers have been asking for, so I want to make it happen! I have a few clothing options on the store but this is also something I would like to branch into more.

[S] Thanks for taking part in this interview. Before you go, shout out three people/businesses that have inspired you or helped you along the way - spread the love!

[H] I would love to shout out to all the people and friends who have supported and helped me on this journey, and obviously a huge thanks to SHIFT for reaching out and giving me the opportunity to speak about the brand. [No, we haven’t paid him to say that!]

Some cool brands I have always looked up to are the likes of Candy Showroom and BQR, check them out if you haven't.

[S] Finally, let us know where we can find you!

[H] You can find Petrolia on instagram at @petroliaa_ and the online store at www.petrolia.shop and you can find me on instagram at @harry.groves14

Selling nostalgia: Harry groves of petrolia

“In my opinion, bmw and porsche ruled the advertising game in the 80s and 90s”

SHIFT Automotive CO.

We are driving enthusiasts.
We are one and the same.

Selling nostalgia: Harry groves of petrolia

“In my opinion, bmw and porsche ruled the advertising game in the 80s and 90s”

Behind the lens: James taylor / continuum films

Behind the lens: Samm Joey

SHIFT Automotive CO.

We are driving enthusiasts. We are one and the same.

We are driving enthusiasts.
We are one and the same.