HotDogging since 1936

July 18, 2023

A 2017 Tuesday Newsday Classic updated

There cannot be found a more momentous day in history than July 18, 1936. It was on that day when a universally recognized symbol of American marketing debuted.

Yes, we are talking about the day the Wienermobile first rolled out onto the streets of America.

Truly it was a stroke of marketing genius to create a car which looks like a giant hot dog. And no doubt the Oscar Mayer people relish this day in their history.

Of course the Wienermobile has evolved over the years. Today, there are eight Wienermobiles and they are assigned regionally throughout the United States. The drivers are known as ‘Hotdoggers’ and to apply to be a Hotdogger you must be a College Senior about to graduate and then commit to one year as a driver. On average some 2000 people a year apply for the job but in the end only 12 are chosen. So it is quite the honor to be a Wienermobile driver.

From the Infallible Wikipedia:

“The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has evolved from Carl Mayer’s original 1936 vehicle to the vehicles seen on the road today. Although fuel rationing kept the Wienermobile off the road during World War II, in the 1950s Oscar Mayer and the Gerstenslager Company created several new vehicles using a Dodge chassis or a Willys Jeep chassis. One of these models is on display at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. These Wienermobiles were piloted by ‘Little Oscar’ (portrayed by George Molchan) who would visit stores, schools, orphanages, and children’s hospitals and participate in parades and festivals.

In 1969, new Wienermobiles were built on a Chevrolet motor home chassis and featured Ford Thunderbird taillights. The 1969 vehicle was the first Wienermobile to travel outside the United States. In 1976 Plastic Products, Inc., built a fiberglass and styrofoam model, again on a Chevrolet motor home chassis.

In 1988, Oscar Mayer launched its Hotdogger program, where recent college graduates were hired to drive the Wienermobile through various parts of the nation and abroad. Using a converted Chevrolet van chassis, Stevens Automotive Corporation and noted industrial designer Brooks Stevens built a fleet of six Wienermobiles for the new team of Hotdoggers.”

In 1995 the Wienermobile got plumped up as it grew to 27 feet long and 11 feet tall! It was amazing! New versions are not as long but they are taller at 14 feet in height.

Then, on June 26 of 2017, the latest innovations for hot dog delivery were introduced. Yes, it’s true, there is now a Weinerdrone!

Update: July 18, 2023

When the Covid pandemic hit in the spring of 2020, the iconic Wienermobile got parked for a short time but that didn’t stop one Hotdogger whose handle is “Zach N’Cheese” from hatching a grand, memorable, plan that involved the iconic vehicle. On August 26, 2020, he pulled into a parking lot at Yellowstone National Park and there, with the Wienermobile prominently featured, dropped down on one knee and popped the question: ‘Do you prefer beef or turkey franks?’ Just kidding, he asked her to marry him and she said yes.

But ‘Zach N’Cheese’s’ story gets even better; turns out that his great grandfather ALSO was a Hotdogger. WBTV out of Charlotte, NC, shared the following:

“Chatham credits his dad, 44-year-old Josh Chatham of Indian Land, with spotting the Wienermobile job application on Facebook. His mom is 44-year-old Mandy Chatham, and his sister is 26-year-old Bethany Singler, both also of Indian Land.

Only when his dad mentioned the job application did it click with Zach Chatham: His great-grandfather, Lon Baisden, now in his 80s and living in Monroe, Ga., had driven the Wienermobile in the 1970s.

‘I said, ‘That’s funny, that’s what Gige (pronounced GEE GEE with a hard ‘g’) did,’‘ he told his dad, referring to his great-grandfather by his nickname.

As a boy, Zach Chatham knew his great-grandfather worked for Oscar Mayer. He’d bring home Oscar Meyer brand toys for him to play with, but Zach Chatham said he didn’t know at the time that Baisden drove the Wienermobile.

Only as Zach Chatham grew older did he learn that, he said, and only when his dad mentioned the job application did it come to mind again.

‘This is a really, really good job,’ Zach Chatham said his dad told him.”

For those who think Zach’s proposal is a good idea, Oscar Mayer does make the Wienermobile available for special occasions. Frankly, it’s a great marketing ploy if a bit cheesy.

I’m sure that after reading this you all will want a hot dog. In the wurst way.

For more information about the iconic Wienermobile, click here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wienermobile