Oscar Mayer Wienermobile Given Totally New Name - First Time in Vehicle's Nearly 100-Year History
If your name is Frank, you’ve undoubtedly heard a “frankfurter” joke or 10 in your lifetime.
If you’re sick of it, you may not be pleased to find out that the iconic Oscar Mayer Wienermobile has officially been rebranded after nearly 100 years.
Good-bye, “Wienermobile.” Hello, “Frankmobile.”
The hot dog-shaped vehicle will be ditching the name it has been using since “it first hit the road in 1936,” according to a news release from parent company Kraft Heinz.
According to the Wednesday release, the name change is meant to pay “homage to the brand’s 100% Beef Franks as it debuts a tasty new recipe.”
As strange as it is to say about a giant oblong car, for people of a certain age in America, it holds some genuine cultural heft. Well into the 2020s, there are still people who love that thing.
Here’s a newlywed couple celebrating their being “linked” on the famed vehicle, for example:
just linked 💅🌭💍 pic.twitter.com/q5AyB66VIK
— WIENERMOBILE (@Wienermobile) October 24, 2022
According to the news release, the maiden fleet of six Frankmobiles will debut this week. They have all sorts of new bells and whistles, including new decals and a new class of drivers, called “Frankfurters.”
If you’re not familiar with processed meat product lore, driving one of these vehicles is the ultimate honor among fans.
Formerly known as “Hotdoggers,” Oscar Mayer would routinely get thousands of applicants to drive its then-Wienermobiles before settling on just 12.
Thousands of people apply every year but only 12 are chosen to drive the massive hot dogs, which means the job is harder to get than an acceptance letter to Harvard University. https://t.co/KrmHHcqY4E
— The Seattle Times (@seattletimes) October 21, 2022
“The Wienermobile is a beloved American icon that has been sparking smiles and driving craveability for our iconic delicious wieners for nearly 100 years,” Stephanie Vance, Oscar Mayer’s associate brand manager, said in the release.
“This summer, it’s time to highlight another fan-favorite: our delicious 100% Beef Franks.”
So as the temperatures begin rising across the country, so will the sight of the Frankmobiles.
Hittin the hotdog highways! pic.twitter.com/qlh6MBcS08
— WIENERMOBILE (@Wienermobile) October 5, 2022
And as it turns out, there is actually an upside to sharing a name with a hot dog-shaped vehicle.
According to the release, if you are named Frank and you visit a Frankmobile, you get a coupon for a free pack of Oscar Mayer beef franks.
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