As Will Farrell as Harry Carry made us all aware: Hotdogs are items of deep mystery. If you were a hotdog, would you eat yourself? Is a hotdog a sandwich?
I want to tip my hat to Oscar-Mayer . Here’s a shoutout for a very clever marketing idea. On National Sandwich Day, Oscar-Mayer launched a (sadly) 24-hour hotline for people to call to talk about whether hotdogs were sandwiches or not.
We know what’s true… But we’re gonna give you 24 hours to change our mind. Call to tell us why you think a hot dog IS NOT a sandwich. #ChangeOscarsMind pic.twitter.com/mhUoHBmnre
Oscar Mayer (@oscarmayer) November 1, 2018
People got a little heated and even other brands got involved. Jimmy Johns took up for sandwiches. In general it was a very fun promo, some folks had strong feelings about the issue:
We get it… Chicago people love sandwiches. 😉 #ChangeOscarsMind pic.twitter.com/qM93jTzjKV
— Oscar Mayer (@oscarmayer) November 1, 2018
How often does a brand stir controversy while keeping it family friendly and not a PR disaster? Almost never. They got people talking about their product and brand in a fun way and no harm was done. I think the part that made it really work was the inclusion of the “hotline.” A low cost but brilliant solution to help give people some fun way to engage!
