- December 5, 2025
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The Oscar Mayer theme song powered one of the best ad campaigns in United States history, and people in Lakewood Ranch had a chance to bask in the nostalgia Dec. 12.
The Wienermobile held a ‘Meat-Up’ at the Publix Lakewood Walk Shopping Center.
Of course, many of the people who stopped weren’t born when Oscar Mayer started airing its commercials in the early 1960s, but that didn’t seem to make a difference.
Brand representatives Cooper Albert and Kaitlin Goldstein were on hand to make sure people in Lakewood Ranch had a fun and educational experience.
They are just two of 12 ‘hotdoggers’ — or Wienermobile spokespeople — who were selected after a four-month interview process among 7,000 applicants, according to Albert. The hotdoggers work for one year, after which they are ‘expired meat,’ and must move to a different job.
They travel across the country to fairs, events, festivals, and spots of congregation.
“I thought it was the most magical, cool job ever,” said Goldstein, who said on occasion she will talk to thousands of people in one day. “We drive around the country and spread smiles and make magic, and that’s exactly how I wanted to spend my first year post-grad.”
The hotdoggers start their year by attending ‘Hot Dog High’ in Madison, Wisconsin to learn about Oscar Mayer history and products, how to drive the Wienermobile, and lessons in media, public relations and communicating with passersby.
Albert and Goldstein were heavy on their hot-dog related pun usage, but said that’s something that comes from inspiration rather than a classroom.
“They just kind of come to us,” Albert said of his ‘buns of puns.’ “One day, it was our second week on the road. I was in Beaufort, South Carolina, and I just told someone to have a franktastic day.
“The spirit of Oscar Mayer consumes me whenever I’m driving this and in uniform. It’s a fun job because whenever I’m driving around, we’re always swarmed. People are waving at us, smiling, taking pictures and asking questions.”
The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile was originally built in 1936, but has evolved over the years.
The current model is 27 feet long, eight feet wide and 11 feet tall. It contains a hotdog-shaped dashboard, six ketchup and mustard colored seats, a blue sky ceiling, a removable bun roof, a Gull-Wing door with a retractable step, and of course, an Official Weiner Jingle horn.
“People ask if I sleep in the Wienermobile, which no, it’s not a Wieniebago,” Albert said.
Ashley Giamanco of Lakewood Ranch stopped to take a photo with her 2-year-old son, Jack Giamanco.
Although he wasn’t old enough to appreciate the nostalgia, that didn’t stop him from crying when his mom said it was time to leave the hot dog.
“We try to make people happy in a world that could always use a little more happiness,” Goldstein said.
