Oscar Mayer embraces ‘Hot Dog Legs’ meme on summer billboards

Johannes Leonardo jumps into the decade-old social-media phenomenon in new campaign

Published On
Aug 03, 2023
Billboard showing two hots dogs in front of a pool and the line "This summer, all legs are Oscar Mayer" and the hashtag #HotDogsForLegs

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Hard to believe, but it’s been more than 10 years since the “Hot Dog Legs” meme for sprang up on an obscure Tumblr (in January 2013). Better late than never, Oscar Mayer is now jumping on the bandwagon with the launch of a leggy social media and out-of-home campaign.

Are they hot dogs, or are they legs? That’s been the question since the beginning of the meme, which actually started with a bathtub shot but is often depicted poolside. 

The new campaign, from agency Johannes Leonardo, features pool as well as backyard shots. “This summer, all legs are Oscar Mayer,” the ads say—along with the hashtag #HotDogsForLegs.

Ad with hot dogs in a backyard scene and the line “This summer, all legs are Oscar Mayer,” along with the hashtag #HotDogsForLegs.

The OOH ads are going up in Huntington Beach, Los Angeles, as well as around Chicago and on the Chicago lakefront. Mobile boat billboards will prowl the Miami and Fort Lauderdale coasts in Florida.

The meme, of course, has always lived primarily in social (there are more than 9 billion “Hot Dog Legs” video views on TikTok alone, per Oscar Mayer), and JL will be looking in social in the coming weeks for imagery to use in future executions.

“For more than a decade, every summer, legs that look suspiciously like hot dogs have shown up on everybody’s social feed, obscuring otherwise picturesque views,” said Nathan Frank, group creative director at Johannes Leonardo. “This summer, Oscar Mayer is proving once and for all that Hot Dog Legs will eternally be considered Oscar Mayer.”

“Oscar Mayer is excited to finally give the #HotDogsOrLegs debate the spotlight it deserves,” added Kelsey Rice, associate director, Oscar Mayer Brand Communications. “A natural extension of our ‘Keep It Oscar’ brand program, this activation brings the fun of Oscar Mayer to life—celebrating legs that look like hot dogs and Oscar Mayer’s delicious meats.”

Credits

Date
Aug 03, 2023
Client :
Oscar Mayer
Agency :
Johannes Leonardo
Vice President Brands & Creativity :
Jessica Vultaggio
Head/VP of North America Brand Communications :
Nina Patel
Head of North America Brand Communications :
Anne Field
Associate Director Brand Communications :
Kelsey Rice
Manager NA Brand PR :
Kate Mitchell
Co-Founder & Creative Chairman :
Jan Jacobs
Co-Founder & Creative Chairman :
Leo Premutico
Group Creative Director :
Nathan Frank
Creative Director :
Zack Roif
Senior Designer :
Sarah Fitz
Chief Strategy Officer :
Steve Zaroff
Strategy Director :
Sameer Naseem
Communications Strategy Director :
Annie Yuan
Senior Communications Strategist :
Annie Yuan
Chief Executive Officer :
Emily Wilcox
Head of Account Management :
Connor Keeshan
Senior Account Director :
Jack Beck
Account Supervisor :
Jonathan Skewes
Account Manager :
Shenea Walker
Head of Production :
Tasha Cronin
Group Executive Producer :
Brett Fisher
Senior Producer :
Lauren Fertitta
Business Affairs Director :
Alesa Blanchard-Nelson
Senior Business Affairs Manager :
Krishna Shah
Public Relations Associate :
Nana-Saa Kessie
Associate Creative Director :
Blase Mnich
Account Director :
Chelsea Kidd-Edie
Senior Social Strategist :
Hayley Gregory
Social Manager :
Marcus Smith
Media :
Publicis 57
EVP Director :
Chris Harder
Director :
Olamide Aruwajoye
CEO :
Michael Epstein
Communications :
Zeno Group
EVP Earned Media :
Courtney Pischke
SVP :
Jamie Dammrich
Senior Account Supervisor :
Bri Shanley
Account Supervisor :
Bethany Stokoski
Account Supervisor :
Veronica Smith

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