Culture

GALLERY: Oscar Mayer’s “Wienermobile” Comes to Pitt

If you have ever wondered how the Oscar Mayer “Wienermobile” handles, just ask John “Jumbo Dog” Craft.

“It handles like a Lambo-weenie,” said Craft, a brand representative for Oscar Mayer, the American meat production company.

Wednesday morning, the Oscar Mayer “Wienermobile” rolled into the William Pitt Union driveway as part of the career fair, scoping out top Pitt talent. A pair of enthusiastic brand representatives, called “Hot Doggers,” bore tidings of “weenie whistles” — Wienermobile-shaped whistles — as well as cardboard cutouts for photo-ops and information on career opportunities.

Career Fair is typically a time for personable, high-achieving Pitt students to make an impression upon recruiters, conveniently concentrated within the confines of the student union. While the event often means stiff blazers, firm handshakes and resumés printed on cardstock, Oscar Mayer offers a more lighthearted alternative.

“Say ‘cheesy weenies,'” said Craft, as a trio of college students posed with cardboard hot dog cutouts in front of the Wienermobile.

Craft, 24, and his “weenie wife,” Jackie “Jalapeño” Stumm, 22, oversaw the operation of the 27-foot-long steel sausage. The machine, resembling a crossbreed between billboard and ice-cream truck, fashioned the classic Oscar Mayer emblem and blasted the unmistakable “Oh, I Wish” theme song — the oldest running jingle in advertising.

“[My generation] grew up with that — ‘Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Mayer weiner,’” sang registrar employee David Geragi, 57, who was offered a tour of the vehicle’s interior.

Like the wiener version of a private jet, the Wienermobile’s upward-swinging doorway revealed a big screen TV, six standalone seats and a massive sound system, as well as an intercom.

“Everybody put on your ‘meat belt,’” said Craft, as students poured in and out of the Wienermobile. With Pitt students on the prowl for jobs, being a ‘“hot-dogger” may be a wild ride they don’t want to miss.

To see more photos from the Wienermobile’s adventure at Pitt, click the first photo to open up a captioned slide show.

The "Wienermobile," capable of blasting the Oscar Mayer Wiener theme in 20 different genres, distracts diligent students in the Cathedral of Learning. Jeff Ahearn | Senior Staff Photographer
"Hot Doggers" Jackie "Jalapeno" Stumm and John "Jumbo Dog" Craft are the cream of the crop —1,500 highly qualified college students apply for their position every year. Jeff Ahearn | Senior Staff Photographermore
John "Jumbo Dog" Craft represents his brand in 25-30 states per year, attending retail events, parades and even birthday parties. Jeff Ahearn | Senior Staff Photographer
The famous Oscar Mayer brand shines bright in the October sun. The first iteration of the Weinermobile rolled out in 1936, making this year the icon's 80th anniversary. Jeff Ahearn | Senior Staff Photographermore
12 "Hot Doggers" are dispatched every year to cover 49 of the 50 states in the United States. Yes, the Wienermobile has even been to Hawaii. Jeff Ahearn | Senior Staff Photographer
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