A Cumberland Farms sign at a Massachusetts gas station advertised coffee for $99, triggering a wave of online scrutiny over inflation jokes and whether an AI tool might have created the poster. The company hasn’t yet clarified whether the offer was actually 99
A visitor to a Massachusetts Cumberland Farms gas station did a double-take this week after a sign appeared to advertise cups of coffee for $99—an eye-popping price that immediately set off a public debate about what people are being asked to pay for a morning caffeine fix.
The moment unfolded online. where commenters traded explanations ranging from inflation gone too far to the possibility that an AI tool had produced the poster. One Reddit user wrote. “Inflation is getting out of hand.” Others zeroed in on details from the ad itself. including the way the iced coffee appeared to be steaming and the odd perspective created by two cups that. while shown on the same plane. appeared to come from different camera angles—one looking as though it was photographed from above. the other head-on.
AI image generators have a reputation for making quirky mistakes, and several commenters pointed to that pattern. They also questioned elements beyond the $99 dollar-sign error. including the mint leaf in the coffee beans and an open wallet with its button clasped. Even the fuel-and-time language on the promotion drew complaints. Some readers said the wording seemed to imply that a customer would only qualify for the “$99” special after waiting 24 hours after purchasing fuel. Others pushed back on the math too. calling out the very low minimum fuel purchase of $3.49 and saying that. at current prices. it would work out to about .77 gallons.
The speculation didn’t stay local. One person wrote, “AI is just getting ahead on making ads for the future when a coffee costs $99. This is for 2027.”
Cumberland Farms did not immediately respond to a request for comment to clarify whether the ad was actually for 99-cent coffee or to address whether AI played any role in creating the poster.
Cumberland Farms, headquartered in Westborough, Massachusetts, operates over 1,500 convenience stores and fuel retailers across the United States.
Cumberland Farms $99 coffee Massachusetts inflation jokes AI ads convenience store promotion