Two MU grads drive the Wienermobile

Acting as PR for Oscar Mayer, MU grads tour the US in a hot-dog shaped car.

By Campbell Massie

Published Sept. 8, 2008

The tigers of the wild are carnivores, but the Tigers of Missouri still like deli.

MU graduates Molly Fergus, a former member of the Maneater staff, and Samantha Park are currently working for Oscar Mayer as hotdoggers and spokespeople, driving across the United States for a year in the Wienermobile.

Oscar Mayer recruited on the MU campus in February where students interviewed for the position.

Seven Wienermobiles, each driven by a two-person team, will travel different regions of the United States, switching partners in January. The teams will visit grocery stores, car stores and local festivals spreading the Oscar Mayer image.

"With the Wienermobile, there really is no average day," Park said.

The Wienermobile team acts as a traveling public relations firm, working with media and acting as a spokesperson, Fergus said.

The MU school of Journalism prepared Fergus for her position as hotdogger by giving her real-life responsibility and hands-on experience.

"It taught me to be flexible and independent as a worker," Fergus said.

The 14 hotdoggers attended "Hot Dog High" where they learned the history of Oscar Mayer and how to drive the Wienermobile. Hotdoggers must complete 40 hours of driving training but do not require a commercial drivers license to drive the vehicle.

"It's such a cool way to see the country," Park said. "I don't know where I am going to live yet and I get a little taste of everything."

Fergus and her current partner are currently traveling around the central southern states.

The pair was scheduled to be in Lafayette, La., when concern arose about Hurricane Gustav. They evacuated to Texas as thousands of others fled the area.

"As we were driving along and people were really serious and nervous but then they saw us and just started laughing," Fergus said.

The driving was a challenge at first for Fergus, who would get nervous by all the honking the Wienermobile receives.

"I thought I was going to hit someone," she said.

Driving the Wienermobile constantly pushes the drivers to be flexible and independent, Fergus said. They have to make their own travel arrangements, have all the duties of a spokesperson as well as drive the actual Wienermobile.

The Wienermobile has seating inside for six with two captain's seats in the front but no actual sleeping or kitchen area.

"It's not a 'weenie-bago'," Fergus said.

The Wienermobile, an American icon that has been around for decades, still brings joy to people from children seeing for it for the first time to senior citizens who saw it as children, Park said.

"Everyone is always happy to see us because we are driving a Wienermobile," Fergus said.