A little over four months after Oscar Mayer announced that its iconic Wienermobile would be referred to as the “Frankmobile,” the company is returning to its roots and changing the name back.
“It was a franktastic summer celebrating our 100% beef franks with the Frankmobile from coast to coast,” Kelsey Rice, an associate director at Oscar Mayer, told Fox News Digital.
However, “like many of you,” she added, “we miss our original icon. Kicking off last week, we’re welcoming back the Wienermobile,” she said.
COUPLE GETS ENGAGED AT YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN FRONT OF OSCAR MAYER WIENERMOBILE
In May, the company — based in Chicago since 2015 — announced that, for the first time in the 87 years of the Wienermobile, the vehicle would have a name change.
“The Wienermobile is a beloved American icon that has been sparking smiles and driving craveability for our iconic delicious wieners for nearly 100 years,” said Stephanie Vance, an associate brand manager at Oscar Mayer, in a May 17 press release.
The Wienermobile name is back, just four months after Oscar Mayer announced the vehicle would be known as the “Frankmobile.” (Whitney Curtis for The Washington Post via Getty Images)
“This summer, it’s time to highlight another fan-favorite: our delicious 100% beef franks,” she said in May.
At the time of the initial name change, a spokesperson for Oscar Mayer told FOX Business that the brand wanted to see if the rebrand “cuts the mustard with its fans.”
JULY 4TH FAVORITES: HOT DOG AND HAMBURGER ECONOMICS
The original Wienermobile was the brainchild of Carl Mayer, nephew of founder Oscar Mayer, says the company’s website.
In 1936, Carl Mayer “came up with the idea of a 13- foot metal hot dog on wheels to transport the company spokesperson.”
A circa 1950s-era iteration of the Wienermobile. Oscar Mayer recently announced that the “Frankmobile” would once again be known as the “Wienermobile.” (Getty Images)
General Body Company of Chicago, Illinois, made the first Wienermobile. It “featured open cockpits in the center and rear.”
Four years later, the Wienermobile received safety upgrades in the form of a glass enclosure for the driver and passengers, said the website.
During World War II, the Wienermobile was briefly retired due to gas rationing.
OSCAR MAYER SAYS HOT DOGS ARE STILL SANDWICHES DESPITE FOLLOWERS’ BEST ATTEMPTS TO CHANGE COMPANY’S MIND
Since its debut, the Wienermobile has undergone various structural and safety changes, says its website.
CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR LIFESTYLE NEWSLETTER
The fleet of six Wienermobiles travels the country to promote Oscar Mayer, and their locations can be tracked on the Oscar Mayer website.
Those hired to drive the Wienermobile are known as “Hotdoggers,” says the website.
The job application posted on Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile page says that Hotdoggers are hired on a full-time basis for a period of one year.
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
In addition to driving duties, “Hotdoggers” are brand ambassadors for Oscar Mayer. They must have an “appetite for adventure and are willing to see the country through the windshield of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.”
“Wienermobile vehicles travel through all regions of the country visiting big cities and small towns alike, bringing miles of smiles to millions,” says Oscar Mayer’s homepage.
Cortney Moore of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
