Franks for the Memories

Samuel Blum ’13 is one lucky dog. He’s hitting the road this year as one of 12 Oscar Mayer Hotdoggers, driving the company’s iconic Wienermobile from sea to shining sea. 

Blum and a fellow Hotdogger are sharing driving duties during their six-month tour of the Northeast, after which he’ll be assigned a new partner and a new region. Altogether, six Wienermobile vehicles will be touring the United States as part of the extremely visible marketing program, “meating” up with eager fans across the country. “We show up to an event in the Wienermobile, take photos, hand out Wienerwhistles and spread miles of smiles,” says Blum. 

Blum, who first heard about the program through a travel magazine, was one of only 12 Hotdoggers chosen from more than 1,000 applicants. After a two-week training program at “Hot Dog High” in PR and social media and more than 40 hours of driver’s training, Blum and his two suitcases are ready to spend a year on the road. 

“It’s been interesting to learn about public relations at such a large company. I think it is really cool that I get to represent such a large brand,” says Blum, who was a marketing major and Design and Innovation in Marketing Fellow at Smith. 

“Whatever field I go into next,” he says, "I’ll have an excellent experience to talk about,” — franks to the Weinermobile.