What Brands Can Learn From a Wiener

Extraordinary Experiences Are Always Recession-Proof

Posted by David Armano on 12.08.08 @ 05:09 PM

I know what you're thinking. "Not another recession article -- ugh." Well it's not, really.

Several weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go for a ride in the world-famous Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. Actually, I went on several rides -- and it started with getting picked up at the Las Vegas airport, no less. Right off the bat, there were several things I noticed as I approached the giant wiener on wheels. It was surrounded by a crowd. Everyone was taking pictures, talking to each other about it and, of course, smiling. Just take a look at my own behavior as I sat inside of it. I was instantly transformed into a child. Which isn't really hard for me because I'm a kid at heart, but as we drove around I noticed that the Wienermobile had this effect on virtually everyone.

We rode on the Strip, where cops on bicycles stopped us to ask for "wiener whistles," and made a stop at Zappos, where we witnessed full-grown adults literally skipping around the Wienermobile as they sang, "How I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener." On the Las Vegas Strip itself, where there is no shortage of photo opportunities, people stopped in their tracks, fumbling to get out their cameras before we passed them by. Toward the end of my trip spent in the Wienermobile, several things became clear to me. For starters, the Wienermobile teaches us about what it means to produce a "social object," as prominent blogger Hugh McLeod puts it. It's an object that connects people, gets them talking and, more important, gets them sharing stories as I am doing here. Think about this lesson as it came before "social media" was ever invented.

Secondly, it is an experience. From the crafting of the vehicle to the whistles to the "Hotdoggers" who drive them (and undergo some serious training), everything about the Wienermobile is designed to be memorable.

Lastly, the model has become somewhat scalable. What started out as one Wienermobile has now grown to seven, which cover geographical regions of North America. And the Wienermobile has survived tougher times than our current recession. For example, during World War II it had to be taken off the road due to gasoline rationing. Today it's alive and well, and the latest addition is a more fuel-friendly version built off the chassis of a Mini Cooper.

But my greatest epiphany was this: Had Carl G. Mayer, nephew of Oscar Mayer and creator of the Wienermobile, put his concept in front of a bunch of marketing executives, I'm not certain it would have ever gotten the green light to move forward. Think about it -- if you never saw the Wienermobile in action, how would you estimate return on investment? I mean it's not actually selling hot dogs and it is dependent on fuel and maintenance. Aside from giving out coupons in front of grocery chains, how do you measure the ROI of something like the Wienermobile? How do you measure smiles? What do those get you?

David Armano also writes the popular Logic + Emotion blog.

Well, I think they get you a lot. And I think Carl realized something that maybe today's cash-strapped CMOs might not. A brand like Oscar Mayer isn't just selling hot dogs -- it is actually selling smiles. Like the ones at a baseball game or family grill out or a party. Wieners are a commodity. A winning brand is not. And the Wienermobile helps take Oscar Meyer out of the commodity game and into a game where brand affinity matters and leads to sales.

At Critical Mass, we think about experiences like this as extraordinary. And extraordinary experiences are practically recession-proof. The Wienermobile has gone "2.0" with an account on Twitter and even a blog. Let's see if those smiles can translate online, since affinity has a way of translating to sales offline.

15 Comments

By pblackshaw | COVINGTON, KY December 8, 2008 06:16:00 pm:

Great framework, David. I didn't have the fortune of an actual "ride" but I did get the full tour of the Wiener mobile at the actual WOMMA event. The part that really jumped out for me was so-called "Hotdoggers" (the employees that staff the Wienermobile). I actually interviewed a few of them, and the quirky, if not campy, passion they exhibited toward the brand (and its legacy) was quite notable. There were echoes of the Zappos "chat" reps or the counter agents at Southwest: passionate about the brand, committed to the experience, thoroughly authentic and real in their self-deprecating humor. The employee ambassador piece is not easy to replicate, but clearly pays out if you get it right. - pete blackshaw

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By David | Chicago, IL December 8, 2008 06:23:12 pm:

Yeah. that's a great point about the hotdoggers. Alana "pickles" and Derrick were awesome. Derrick actually had a Tattoo of the Wienermobile on his arm! Talk about being an ambassador!

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By rosskimbarovsky | Chicago, IL December 8, 2008 07:06:06 pm:

Nice article, David. I am particularly interested in the discussion about ROI and your suggestion that if the concept was presented to marketing folks for a vote, it might never have been allowed. We think a great deal about ROI, but also often reflect on the fact that not everything can be measured in ROI. However - that's a problem in and of itself. It's easy to Monday morning quarterback - but lots of concepts fell flat. ROI provides a somewhat objective view to whether something makes sense. So - if it's hard to measure ROI - how can one predict success? Maybe it's easier to predict if there is only one Wienermobile, but what if 50 other companies launched similar concepts?

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By BL | NEW YORK, NY December 8, 2008 09:14:18 pm:

Great post David! Selling smiles, making children happy, getting people to do a double-take and later tell their friends what they saw, have greater ROI than most metrics-driven campaigns.

So much marketing and advertising is built on math and fear - of newness, creativity, and change.

Of course most marketing is crap. Do the math.

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By Jake | Chicago, IL December 9, 2008 01:30:42 pm:

In terms of the "social object" (are we really going to slap 'social' in front of everything now?), I think it's important to remember that the Las Vegas Strip is in its own right a "sharing device"; a place where there are a lot of smiles already, in fact. Placement of a "social object" is key, and it's fair to say that you would not see the same crowd drawn on just any street. Not to take away from the wiener love-fest here, but let's be mindful of the whole picture. This is the Vegas Strip we're talking about. More people socialize around it than do around a hot-dog shaped car.

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By David | Chicago, IL December 9, 2008 01:35:23 pm:

Jake,

That's exactly why I think the wienermobile is so successful—if you can stand out in the noise that is Vegas, well frankly (no pun intended) then you can stand out anywhere. As to the point of "everything social" my reason for referencing that is to point out that the before the social craze, we were always social beings. We used to gather around fires—now we gather around networks. And occasionally the wienermobile if it rolls into town. :-)

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By jchesky | Vancouver, WA December 9, 2008 01:39:38 pm:

This is how you build upon the brand, extending it, stretching it, filling all the space in the minds of consumers. The passion that the Hotdoggers have for their jobs was explained to me at one time as having to have "weinerosity". I could not have said it better myself. Jim Chesky | Vancouver, WA

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By Jake | Chicago, IL December 9, 2008 02:13:37 pm:

"As to the point of 'everything social' my reason for referencing that is to point out that the before the social craze, we were always social beings."

I'm encouraged to read that, David. I was afraid you were going another way with that reference. I think we unnecessarily obscure the real meaning of so many terms by "buzz-wording" them beyond recognition. Every time I hear "social media" I think, "why not just say 'media'? There's no such thing as anti-social media."

I still think if I saw the wienermobile on the Strip, I'd assume it was contributing to the noise rather than rising above it. But I'm probably not the average consumer, and I'm definitely not in Vegas that often. Plus, I'd feel differently if I got to ride in that thing. :)

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By kevinss | Sausalito, CA December 9, 2008 02:40:07 pm:

I love the Wiener mobile...as it ties in very strongly with happy childhood memories...which is one of the main reasons I think it still has such a strong brand following: Here's my 2 cents in a video comment:

http://www.bubblecomment.com/id/4y3r

- K

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By ltna | WEST CHICAGO, IL December 10, 2008 10:46:41 am:

We face the exact same situation when we use our wrapped London Taxis for campaigns. It is hard to measure ROI and Eye Ball Rates when we use our London Taxis. But when you see people on the streets turn their heads several times to see the vehicles, take pictures of the vehicles and have great big smiles on their faces - then you just know that you are on to something right.

Merry Christmas from Jesper Jorgensen, London Taxis of North America (www.london-fleet.com)

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By samantha.gammell | Madison, WI December 10, 2008 11:33:21 am:

Thanks so much for the great article, David! Oscar Mayer, like any company, has hard ROI targets, but we really feel that the emotional connection that we've seen for the past 21 years with the Wienermobile and with the more than 300 Hotdoggers through millions of interactions with Americans, has generated miles of smiles and an emotional connection to our brand and product that produces a truly intangible ROI that we work hard to maintain.

It was great to meet you in person at the WOMMA Summit and see that emotional connection come to life for you.

- Sam Gammell, Oscar Mayer Marketing

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By R1Wiener | Madison, WI December 10, 2008 11:53:07 am:

Interesting to read the comments and see the number of you who have commented on the "quality" of the Hotdoggers - as one who managed the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile program for 14 years which included the design and build of the vehicles, determining promotional campaigns, PR efforts, sponsorships ranging from Super Bowls to Iditirods I can tell you the most important part of the equation was the people. Oscar Mayer puts an extraordinary effort into the recruiting, interviewing, training and managing of the Hotdoggers to bring the icon to life whether it is on the strip in Las Vegas or Ponce City, Ok., it truly is the goal to bring Miles of Smiles wherever it goes to kids of all ages! The key to success was the people that drive the Wienermobiles work for the company - not some distant agency that is merely a pay check and a voice on the phone but are an extension of the marketing effort. The management of the company takes an active role in the training process that includes quality time spent with the President of the division as well as other senior managers, having tattoos and bleeding ketchup are sure signs that it works.

As Pete said "Not easy to replicate, but clearly pays out if you get it right", Oscar Mayer has gotten it right since the program was reborn in 1988, the legacy of Carl G. Mayer and Oscar is alive in anyone who has ever been fortunate enough to pilot the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

Russ Whitacre|Madison, Wisconsin

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By tfinley | Kansas City, MO December 10, 2008 01:40:35 pm:

Oscar Mayer has one of the best college recruiting formulas out there. They visit college campuses throughout the year looking for Hotdoggers that fit the mold. Believe it or not, but both of my college roommates were selected to be Hotdoggers. But don't be envious, you can only hear about the "Bunbelievable" adventures they had in the "Lamborghweinie" so many times before you want put your head out the "Bun Roof" while driving under a low clearance bridge. :) While Hotdoggers may come off as campy, I challenge anyone to drive around in a giant hot dog for a year, living out of a suitcase and answering the same 3 questions every day. How big is the Weinermobile? Do you sleep in there? Do you have hotdogs in there? Let's just say patience is a key virtue of any Hotdogger.

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By JeffBach | Stoughton, WI December 10, 2008 03:42:49 pm:

We've been working with Special Olympics here in the Madison, WI. area on a fund raising project that is tied in with events at the University of Wisconsin, including football, basketball and hockey games.

I see the Weinermobile and its appearances as "events". I think our world is getting more fragmented. Media messages are being seen, heard and read by ever smaller numbers of people and are therefore less effective. "Events", whether that be a "Weinermobile" appearance or the Bucky Bike on display prior to a football game, like we are doing for Special Olympics, offer a chance to aggregate large numbers of people in a very positive environment and present an effective and so far well received message.

As things continue to fragment in the media world, I think real world events are going to start assuming more and more importance.

Living in the Madison area, my kids and I get to see the Weinermobile several times a year. They are always amazed!
Jeff Bach

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By Pauline | Naperville, IL December 10, 2008 07:17:53 pm:

What fond memories of the WOMMA conference! Having not grown up in the US, I appreciated witnessing first hand the reaction to the Wienermobile and the Hotdoggers as people relived their childhood. It certainly brought out the smiles in people. The hotdoggers were great examples of brand ambassadors, advocating for the brand and providing a unique and memorable brand experience. I gave a T-shirt to a friend and this provided another "word of mouth" conversation - as well as bragging rights!

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