Photo Credit: Oscar Mayer
Do you wish you were an Oscar Mayer weiner?
Oscar Mayer has worked its way into American pop culture in more ways than you might realize. With its indelible jingles to its Weinermobiles to its innovations in the world of bacon and cold cuts, this company has become nothing short of a household name. How exactly did a Chicago sausage shop turn into a cultural powerhouse? Read on to find out.
Yes, there was a real Oscar Mayer; In 1873, at the age of 14, he emigrated to the United States from Germany and became an apprentice at various German butcher shops in Detroit and Chicago before opening his own Chicago shop around the turn of the last century with the help of his brothers Gottfried and Max. Their sausages, which included bockwurst, liverwurst, and weisswurst made using Gottfried's recipes, were so popular that crowds lined up to purchase them on a daily basis and their delivery business stretched to all corners of Chicago.
In 1904, the Mayer brothers found themselves faced with a problem: their product was so popular that other companies were trying to pass off their inferior product as Oscar Mayer's. To combat this, the company did something revolutionary: They became one of the first meat packers to stamp a brand onto their products. They were also one of the first to voluntarily have their products federally approved after the Food Safety Inspection Service was created in 1906.
By laying the groundwork for success in the early years of the twentieth century, through embracing new ideas and maintaining high quality, Oscar Mayer was (consciously or not) setting the stage to become one of America's leading brand names in packaged meat products. Through some savvy marketing moves and technological innovations, the company worked its way into American culture, and is still a juggernaut, existing today under the Kraft Foods umbrella and found in nearly every supermarket in the country. Read on to learn 10 things you might not have known about Oscar Mayer.
They Embraced Marketing and Advertising from the Beginning
Photo Credit: Amazon
This actually looks pretty awesome.
Oscar Mayer knew the power of name recognition, and that definitely was part of the inspiration to begin branding all their meat products. They also took to sponsoring local events from their earliest days, including the 1893 Chicago World's Fair.
They Invented Packaged and Sliced Bacon
Photo Credit: Kraft Foods, Inc. / ItemMaster
Today they sell several bacon varieties.
Before Oscar Mayer came along, bacon was sold in slabs and had to be sliced by the in-store butcher. But in 1924, the company began selling shingled sliced bacon placed in a cardboard frame and wrapped in cellophane. This innovation elevated Oscar Mayer from a small player in the bacon business to a major presence, and the majority of packaged bacon is still sold in this format today.
The Yellow Band was a Secret to Their Success
Photo Credit: Flickr / Mike Mozart / CC BY 4.0
Before 1929, there was no way to differentiate one hot dog brand from another, because all hot dogs look the same and the majority of them were sold in bulk with no branding or packaging. In order to make their wieners stand out, Oscar Mayer began wrapping all of them with a yellow paper band imprinted with the name of the company and a government inspection stamp. This made the brand instantly recognizable, and was a huge sales booster. Today's packaging still incorporates that trademark yellow band.
There are Six Wienermobiles
Photo Credit: Flickr / randychiu / CC BY 4.0
The Wienermobile first hit the road in Chicago in 1936, and is one of the great marketing tactics of all time. Today there are six of them across the country, each traveling about 1,000 miles every week. You can even follow them on Twitter!
You can Apply to be a Wienermobile Driver
Photo Credit: Oscar Mayer
Want to become a "Hotdogger"? The company is accepting resumes through January for drivers, who will also serve as goodwill ambassadors and their "own traveling public relations firm." "Applicants should have a BA or BS, preferably in public relations, journalism, communications, advertising, or marketing."
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
It's Another Trump-Biden Showdown — And We Need Your Help
The Future Of Democracy Is At Stake
Our 2024 Coverage Needs You
Your Loyalty Means The World To Us
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
The 2024 election is heating up, and women's rights, health care, voting rights, and the very future of democracy are all at stake. Donald Trump will face Joe Biden in the most consequential vote of our time. And HuffPost will be there, covering every twist and turn. America's future hangs in the balance. Would you consider contributing to support our journalism and keep it free for all during this critical season?
HuffPost believes news should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their ability to pay for it. We rely on readers like you to help fund our work. Any contribution you can make — even as little as $2 — goes directly toward supporting the impactful journalism that we will continue to produce this year. Thank you for being part of our story.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
It's official: Donald Trump will face Joe Biden this fall in the presidential election. As we face the most consequential presidential election of our time, HuffPost is committed to bringing you up-to-date, accurate news about the 2024 race. While other outlets have retreated behind paywalls, you can trust our news will stay free.
But we can't do it without your help. Reader funding is one of the key ways we support our newsroom. Would you consider making a donation to help fund our news during this critical time? Your contributions are vital to supporting a free press.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That's why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.
Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we'll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can't find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.
Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.
Can't afford to donate? Support HuffPost by creating a free account and log in while you read.
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?
Dear HuffPost Reader
Thank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.
The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you'll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.
Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.