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WHET YOUR WIENERWHISTLE

These days, it’s common to see vehicles that are draped with advertising slogans or even shaped as products, such as a Red Bull can. But did you know that the now somewhat common practice of “branding on wheels” can be attributed to the genius of Carl G. Mayer, nephew of meat-producing icon Oscar Mayer?

As a part of a mass branding and advertising scheme back in 1936, Mayer designed an automobile that was shaped like a giant hot dog nestled in a toasted bun. Christened the Wienermobile, the country’s most famous hot dog was ready to cruise the streets of America. The original vehicle was 13 ft. long and was built by the General Body Company in Chicago, Ill. These Wienermobiles were piloted by "Little Oscar" who would visit stores, schools, orphanages, children's hospitals, and participate in parades and festivals.

In the 1940s the Wienermobile did its part to save fuel and help the war effort in WWII by not driving around. “That’s what did it,” General Patton mused in later years.

The Wienermobile was back and better than ever in the 1950s, though. It embraced the crazy rock n’ roll revolution that was sweeping America by adopting a stronger engine, a hi-fi sound system and participating in games of chicken with young rebels. It was at this time that the famous Wienerwhistle was introduced for the drivers to hand out to children. The Wienerwhistles play multiple notes and were a huge hit among children and adults alike. Over 15,000 were given out at the New York World’s Fair in 1956, and it would have been a lot more if they hadn’t run out! Sigmund Freud was one of the lucky recipients and when asked about his motivation, stated “Sometimes a Wienerwhistle is just a Wienerwhistle.”

In 1995 the Wienermobile got another makeover by Harry Bradley, a world-famous automobile designer with Carlin Manufacturing. The new design stretched out to 27 feet and included Pontiac head lights and tail lights and a new sleek bun design. A few years later the engine was upgraded to a GM 5700 Vortec V8 and a whole slew of bells and whistles were added. New features include: voice-activated GPS navigation, wireless microphones, a hotdog-shaped dashboard, a “condiment control panel,” a snazzy bun roof, and an Oscar Mayer jingle horn that plays in 21 different styles, from Bossa Nova to Rap to Cajun.

As one would expect, this new jingle horn has helped the Wienermobile gain a good amount of “street cred” as it is able to strongly identify with culturally diverse neighborhoods. Many a block party has been started with hotdoggers hanging out of the bun roof and blasting the Oscar Mayer jingle rap.

The Wienermobile has even tried its hand at acting, appearing in two movies: LadyBugs, starring Rodney Dangerfield, and Another You, starring Richard Pryor and Gene Wilder. The icon made waves in those roles, but most don’t know how close the Wienermobile came to starring in a few other notable films. The Wienermobile was considered for the role of John Milner’s car in American Graffiti. “That wiener’s boss!” was the line that George Lucas said, “didn’t quite work with the rest of the film.”

Tom Cruise supposedly lobbied to use a souped-up version of a Wienermobile as his stock car in Days of Thunder, but was rebuffed by studio bureaucrats. The Wienermobile was also in the final callback to be the car used in Thelma and Louise, and no real reason was given to why it was passed up.

So, I can already guess what you’re thinking – a vehicle this cool, with this much history, and steeped in the lore of Americana, can I get a job driving it?

The answer is no. Well, maybe, but the criteria are quite stringent. Applicants have to be in the final year of a college degree and commit to a year of service upon graduation. Every year more than 30,000 hopeful students apply, and just 12 are finally chosen. These lucky future hotdoggers then attend Hot Dog High in Madison, WI, before they are given the keys to their assigned Wienermobile. They then spend 12 months promoting the Oscar Mayer name and earning their hotdogger nickname.

Some famous alumni of Hot Dog High include Bill “Bunlover” Clinton, “Mustard” Mother Teresa, and CarrotTop. So, keep an eye out on your street for one of the seven Wienermobiles currently touring the United States and abroad. Who knows, you may see Bill Clinton hanging out of the bun roof on an alumni tour playing the wiener jingle on his sax.