BP pushes feel-good Gulf story

NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- Nearly 20 months after its massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill, BP is pushing a slick nationwide public relations campaign to persuade Americans that the Gulf region has recovered.

But BP PLC's rosy picture of the Gulf seems a bit too rosy for many people who live there -- even if the campaign helps persuade Americans to visit the region and spend their money.

The PR blitz comes just as the nation focuses on New Orleans, which will host the BCS title game Monday. It's part of BP's multibillion dollar response to the Gulf oil spill that started after the BP-leased Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in April 2010, killing 11 workers and spilling more than 200 million gallons of oil.

Some locals dismiss the advertising blitz as "BP propaganda."