What It's Like to Hitch a Lyft in the Wienermobile

While many have sung of their wish to be an Oscar Mayer wiener, it's a far more practical dream to take a ride inside one. Adweek took a spin around New York in the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile on Friday, Aug. 27, and learned some insider secrets about the drivers—that is, the so-called “hotdoggers”—behind the wheel. From Aug. 25 to 27, Lyft customers in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Chicago who ordered a Lyft XL had a chance to be the “lucky dogs” to hitch a ride in the Wienermobile rather than a more conventional vehicle. Agency VMLY&R developed and launched the idea in partnership with the two brands, with earned media rollout and storytelling from ICF Next. https://twitter.com/oscarmayer/status/1430153297336442883 Adweek’s digital editor Colin Daniels, director of audience engagement Jess Zafarris and CPG reporter Paul Hiebert were among those to hop aboard for the #WienermobileLyft activation in New York, chauffeured by hotdoggers operating under the pseudonyms Chili Cheese Caroline and Nickaroni and Cheese. Riders also received custom hot dog names of their own—ours were Classic Dog Colin, Jumbo Dog Jess and Pickle Paul. The Wienermobile displayed each passenger's (real) name on a pink Lyft plaque placed behind the windshield for the duration of the ride. (In our case, it read "Adweek.") Passengers selected for the Lyft activation were unaware the Wienermobile was their ride until it arrived with their names on said plaque. "As part of our journey to modernize and reinvigorate the Oscar Mayer brand, we’ve been focused on expanding into culture in a way that increasingly feels less like advertising and more like pop art: bringing unexpected smiles to people when and how they would never expect," said Megan Lang, associate marketing director at Oscar Mayer. Passengers received swag including a t-shirt emblazoned with the locations in the activation, as well as a branded mask and naturally, a Weenie Whistle. After everyone had securely fastened their "meatbelts," the Wienermobile hit the road, while the hotdoggers shared pun-filled facts and insights about the process of training to drive the vehicle and their travels around the country. "We all missed out on summer 2020," said Bryna Corcoran director, social media and influencer marketing at Lyft. "This year, we wanted to bring some kind of fun back as people started to get back out and ride. We partnered with Oscar Mayer because there is no car more iconic and part of summer pop culture than the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. It instantly sparks joy and fun when you see it pull up." Behind the Weenie Wheel The Wienermobile has long been an integral part of Oscar Mayer’s identity and marketing—even serving as the inspiration for its brand and packaging refresh earlier this year. It's no stranger to co-branded activations, either: In 2019, it briefly served as an Airbnb in Chicago. The vehicle, which is “60 hot dogs long” according to the hotdoggers, or 27 feet in layman’s terms, has been on the road since 1936 and has visited every U.S. state. There are six Wienermobiles in operation, as well as a WienerCycle, WienerRover and WienerDrone. Getting the chance to drive it is a coveted experience, which was not available to those who hitched a ride during the Lyft activation, but only to trained hotdoggers. Being a hotdogger is also a highly exclusive position: Although Wienermobiles have been cruising the streets for 85 years, “more people have been to space than have driven the Wienermobile,” said Nickaroni and Cheese. "As hotdoggers, we get to spread smiles across the country with the Wienermobile and make people happy daily," said Chili Cheese Caroline, whose real name is serendipitously Caroline Frankenfeld. "For example, in the #WienermobileLyft activation, we turned something ordinary into something bunderfully odd." When they're on the road, each Wienermobile is staffed with two hotdoggers. For the past 17 years, the brand has selected 12 recent college grads for the year-long hotdogger position from among thousands of applicants. The training program, dubbed "Hot Dog High," which takes place in Madison, Wis., lasts two weeks. During that period, hotdoggers are trained not only to operate the vehicle, but also to engage with riders and share those “bunderful” facts about the brand and the Wienermobile. Hotdoggers also organize up to three community events a day, create social media content (including dedicated Instagram accounts emblazoned with their hot dog names), make TV appearances and talk to media outlets for the duration of the gig. Flamin’ Hot Mountain Dew Was Pretty Much Inevitable

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Fasten Your Meatbelts: How Lyft and Oscar Mayer Teamed Up to Offer Wienermobile Rides

Adweek learned what it’s like to drive the hot dog-shaped vehicle

Jess Zafarris

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Jess Zafarris