The Wienermobile crash: bad driving, good PR

Sometimes, the old saying ‘no publicity is bad publicity’ is stretched to the point of lunacy, but in the case of the Wienermobile that crashed into a family home in Racine, an unpleasant mishap seems to have only meant good things for the Oscar Mayer empire.

In case you don’t know the details, the Wienermobile is (literally) a promotional vehicle for the food brand Oscar Mayer – it’s basically a 27 foot long van that looks like a giant hot dog.

It was designed in the 1930s by the original Oscar Mayer’s son and has been successful in generating publicity ever since. But after over 70 years, you might be forgiven for thinking the novelty had worn off.

Then this week, a woman driving just such a vehicle went to make a manoeuvre in a friend’s driveway, accidentally hit the accelerator and drove straight into the front of the house. According to reports, there was some structural damage to the property, but no one was hurt.

Here’s the official line from the Wienermobile blog:

“We were turning the Wienermobile around in a driveway, which is at the end of a dead-end street, and got into a bit of a pickle. We are so relieved that no one was home and nobody was injured. We promptly alerted police. We are working with the local authorities and the appropriate insurance companies to fix the damage and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may cause the homeowner. We are back on the hot dog highways spreading miles of smiles today. Franks everyone for your concern.”

So what is it about this potentially damaging story that has worked out so well for the brand?

Well on the simplest level, it has generated a lot of coverage. The image of a hot dog shaped car wedged into a house is a sight to behold and as a consequence the vehicle has once again become a familiar sight to people in the US and indeed all over the world. This story has been reported on heavily in the media, popped up on several social media platforms and generally created an internet buzz. So has it generated publicity for the brand? Check.

So what criticisms might the accident attract for Oscar Mayer. Well, any danger of the safety of the vehicle being called into question were quickly knocked on the head as the woman admitted to making a mistake, and the company have already agreed to pay for the damage to the property, so the brand is looking pretty blame-free.

However, we can assume this woman was quite young because the drivers of the seven Wienermobiles in existence are generally selected from senior college students who are about to graduate, and the hallowed position is only ever held for a year. (addition: she is 22)

So could it be that she got a little rambunctious behind the wheel? Could it be that the Oscar Mayer selection criteria just isn’t tight enough? Well I’ve seen no criticism so far, but even if it did come to light, I think it would only serve to raise the profile of the selection process and see applications for the position rocket next summer. A neat win from any accusations of a fail? Check.

So, a 27 foot long hot dog crashes into a family home creating the perfect photo opportunity. Publicity stunt? I very much doubt it. Good PR? Check.