The Brand Oscar Mayer, my Bologna

Oscar Mayer-the leading hot dogs, cold cuts, and bacon brand in the United States-is Kraft’s Elton John, Billy Joel duet. The brand consists of quality, good tasting lunchmeat marinated in vats of personality. Just think of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile. The giant hotdog on wheels hit the roads of America in 1936; today, a fleet of them travels the United States, Puerto Rico, and Spain, leaving a trail of people singing the infamous jingle, “Oh I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener…. ” Admit it. You remembered it, didn’t you? Let Fans Participate in the Brand Oscar Mayer also lets fans participate in the brand. An even more popular jingle than the wiener anthem is the bologna anthem. It is Kraft’s Wal Mart cheer-its “Rock and Roll All Night.” The words, “My bologna has a first name, it’s O S C A R…” still resonate through the minds of boomers and Generation Xers alike. Today, however, kids may not sing the bologna song in the cafeteria, but they do talk Kraft at lunch when they assemble and trade Lunchables. This modern day brown bag lunch is really a kit of snack sized food that kids like to eat and can assemble and eat, such as pizza and taco Lunchables. Kids get to play with their food and trade among themselves, while parents don’t have to take the time to make lunch for them.

Fan participation may also occur via web site, as Aerosmith has done well with its Notes from the Road section, chat room, and photo gallery. Similarly, Kraft spews out a slew of recipes and ideas about how to be creative with Velveeta, for example, and customers can enter contests and win up to $100,000.