Byline: JOHN T. SLANIA

Britain's BP PLC is rolling out its ampm convenience stores in the Chicago market-and it's using traditional advertising and some unorthodox marketing to promote the new brand.

Over the winter, BP began converting the convenience stores at most of its 78 Chicago-area gas stations to ampms. The British oil giant, with North American headquarters in Warrenville, owns the ampm brand but has begun franchising the stores to independent operators.

BP's conventional advertising includes TV and radio commercials, billboards and a promotional Web site. BP also is experimenting with unconventional marketing techniques, such as real or simulated 3D ...