Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - Hitting the Road with Marketing Mobiles

Episode Date: April 22, 2023

You’ve probably seen those Red Bull Mini Coopers driving around town with the giant Red Bull can on their roofs.This week on Under The Influence, we look at the wild and wacky world of marketing mobiles.They’ve actually been around for over 100 years.We’ll crack open the story behind the Planters Peanut Nutmobiles.We’ll take to the skies to tell you an amazing story behind the famous Goodyear blimps.And we’ll tell the story of the famous Oscar Meyer Wienermobiles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly. As you may know, we've been producing a lot of bonus episodes while under the influences on hiatus. They're called the Beatleology Interviews, where I talk to people who knew the Beatles, work with them, love them, and the authors who write about them. Well, the Beatleology Interviews have become a hit, so we are spinning it out to be a standalone podcast series. You've already heard conversations with people like actors Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, and Beatles confidant Astrid Kershaw. But coming up, I talk to May Pang, who dated John Lennon in the mid-70s. I talk to double fantasy guitarist Earl Slick, Apple Records creative director John Kosh. I'll be talking to Jan Hayworth,

who designed the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Very cool. And I'll talk to singer Dion, who is one of only five people still alive who were on the Sgt. Pepper cover. And two of those people were Beatles. The stories they tell are amazing. So thank you for making this series such a success. And please, do me a favor, follow the Beatleology interviews on your podcast app. You don't even have to be a huge Beatles fan, you just have to love storytelling.

Subscribe now, and don't miss a single beat. This is an apostrophe podcast production. Your teeth look whiter than no nose. You're not you when you're hungry. You're a good hand with all the teeth. You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. Growing up in the 60s and early 70s, I was part of the first TV generation. Sitcoms were very popular around my house. One of my favorite shows began in 1962 and had one of the most memorable theme songs of all time.

Come and listen to a story about a man named Jed. A poor mountaineer barely kept his family fed. And then one day he was shooting at some food and up through the ground come a bubbling crude. Boy, that is black gold, Texas tea. Don't think there's a boomer alive that doesn't know every word to that theme song. The premise was hilarious. A poor family of hillbillies named the Clampetts strike oil on their land, are paid $30 million, then move to California.

Beverly Hills, that is. Swimming pools, movie stars, and the comedy ensued. But one of the interesting aspects of the show was the Clampett's truck. It was old-fashioned with wooden spoked wheels, was loaded with pots and pans and wooden barrels secured with rope, and had a rocking chair for Granny high up behind the back seat. The Clampett Mobile was created by George Barris. He became known as the King of Customizers for his incredible ability to customize cars for Hollywood television shows.

When the call came to build a hillbilly truck for the new sitcom, Barris looked around and found a 1921 Oldsmobile behind a feed store in Fontana, California. It was old and rusty and perfect. So Barris created the classic hillbilly truck, and the Clampetts drove it around Beverly Hills for the entire nine-year run of the show, never buying a new car, even though their fortune would grow to $100 million by the time

the show ended. When the sitcom went off the air, the truck disappeared too. Then a car collector found it years later in a wrecking yard in New Jersey. He refurbished it back to its proper deplorable state, haha, and it now resides in a museum in the Ozarks. Another high-concept TV show I loved as a The Munsters ran from 1964 to 1966. The premise? A family of Munsters live in a normal residential neighborhood and try to fit in. Father Herman looked like Frankenstein. Mother Lily looked like the bride of Frankenstein.

Grandpa was a vampire. Son Eddie was a miniature wolfman. And in a funny twist, niece Marilyn is actually normal Grandpa was a vampire, son Eddie was a miniature wolfman. And in a funny twist, niece Marilyn is actually normal, and the Munsters consider her the ugly duckling of the family. The Munsters drove around in a gothic, crazy-looking hot rod.

Again, designed and built by George Barris, it was made from three Model Ts and a hearse body. The Munster Coach featured a pearl black exterior, a blood-red velvet interior made to look like the inside of a coffin. It had creepy lanterns instead of headlights, spider webs on the glass, and twin casket handles on the fenders.

While the Munster Coach was fun, it was another TV show that really got me interested in cars. Oh, how I loved Batman. It only ran from 1966 to 68, but was one of the biggest pop culture hits of the decade. They say the 60s had the big three Bs, Beatles, Bond, and Batman. While I loved Batman and Robin, I was fascinated by the Batmobile. First, I loved the sound it made when it started up.

Atomic batteries to power. Turbines to speed. Ready to started up. I'll make batteries to power. Turbines to speed. Ready to move up. The famous Batmobile was also designed and built by the amazing George Barris. It's hard to believe, but the studio only gave Barris 21 days to build it.

He chose to customize a 1955 Lincoln Futura. Barris made the front of the car look like a bat's face, the rear sported a pair of 15-foot bat wings, and the two bubble windshields came from an airplane. The sleek black car was filled with neat gadgets,

like a red bat phone, internal-mounted bat rockets, twin bat parachutes, a super-powered bat magnet, a bat Zooka, a bat radar scope, twin bat parachutes, a super-powered bat magnet, a bat zooka, a bat radar scope, a bat laser beam, and the ability to emit a smoke screen, a slippery oil slick, and it could spit out tire-puncturing nails onto the road. And long before there was a Tesla, it had a self-driving feature. What more could a kid ask for?

In 2013, that Batmobile sold at auction for $4.6 million. That incredible car and George Barris' other creations are some of the most memorable customized cars of all time. The marketing industry has customized quite a few cars of its own, too. Starting 100 years ago, companies began

building customized vehicles to promote their brands. The vehicles were designed to look like giant-sized versions of the products themselves and roamed the country giving out free samples. These marketing mobiles not only attracted attention

wherever they went, they created a brand-new advertising medium. You're under the influence. Novelty product vehicles have been around longer than you think. Way back in 1892, a Scottish scientist named Sir James Dewar needed a way to keep a chemical at a stable temperature when placed in a flask. So he put a glass bottle inside a bigger glass bottle and evacuated the air between the two. That kept the chemical at a constant temperature. And in doing so, Dewar had invented the first vacuum flask. The remarkable feature of the flask was that it could keep a chemical hot or cold. Then Dewar hired a German glassblowing

company to make a sturdier flask. That company then developed a commercial version in 1903 and held a contest to name the product. The winning entry was Thermos, which was derived from the Greek word thermē, meaning heat. Next, an American businessman bought the rights to the Thermos brand and brought it to the U.S. Then, in 1909, long before public relations became a big business, he created what was one of the very first marketing mobiles. It looked like a giant silver thermos bottle on a Model T frame. The words, Thermos the Bottle, were written on the side of the truck. The hubcap said, Keeps Hot, Keeps Cold.

The truck's thermos-like bodywork was made out of aluminum. Even the threads on the spin-off top, situated on the nose of the vehicle, were carefully reproduced. The truck drove around the country promoting the brand's unique thermal qualities. In 1912, a man named Clarence Crane invented a round candy with a hole in the middle. He had previously been in the chocolate business, but found chocolate sold poorly in the summer because they melted in the heat. One day, he saw a machine pharmacists used to make round pills

that could also punch holes in the center. That gave Crane an idea. Why not make mints instead of chocolate? The resulting mints looked like life preservers, so Crane named them

Lifesavers. He eventually sold the formula to a man named Edward Noble in 1913, who started the Peppel Mint Lifesavers Company. Five years later, in 1918, the Peppel Mint Lifesaver Company created a marketing mobile to promote its candy. Similar in shape to the thermos truck, it looked like a giant roll of Lifesavers on wheels. The driver sat in the middle of the vehicle,

looking out two round side windows where the O in the Peppermint logo was located. I can only assume the driver then had to look down the long barrel of the giant lifesaver's roll in order to see where he was going. That marketing mobile, and the brand's unique advertising, helped lifesavers thrive for more than 100 years. Not all marketing mobiles are on terra firma.

The first Goodyear blimp took to the sky in June of 1925. The airship was essentially a balloon filled with non-flammable helium propelled by an engine. It is said that someone at Goodyear flicked his finger against the airship's surface one day and it made a sound that he pronounced as a blimp. The word stuck. The car or compartment that hung below the original blimp was small but luxurious. The inside was appointed with polished mahogany and the seating was covered in blue mohair velour upholstery.

There was one seat for the pilot, two seats for passengers, and a small cockpit at the rear for a mechanic who attended to the engine. Goodyear had big hopes for their blimps. The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company firmly believed blimps could be sold as air yachts. In other words, that blimps could serve as yachts for wealthy people who lived inland, just as seagoing yachts did for rich folks living on the coast. Goodyear imagined airships mooring at country clubs and private estates, and even saw a future for airship regattas.

By the 1930s, the Goodyear blimps had three main ambitions. To develop technology for the military, to build public awareness and confidence in the Goodyear brand, and interestingly, to arouse public and government support for trans-oceanic travel. At the time, Goodyear also believed blimps were a more viable option for overseas travel than airplanes. By the time the first blimp was retired in 1931, it had made 4,700 flights carrying over 5,300 people. Since then, many Goodyear blimps have come and gone as technology progressed.

In 1955, NBC approached Goodyear to ask if a camera could be installed on the blimp to provide aerial shots of the Rose Bowl parade. From that point on, Goodyear blimps have soared high above many sporting events, including the Super Bowl. By the way, TV networks provide no compensation to Goodyear for aerial coverage of sporting events. In return, networks show the Goodyear blimp on camera, make verbal references to it during the broadcast,

and pop an animated Goodyear logo on the screen. Here's some blimp trivia. The original blimps were about 192 feet long. They typically flew 1,500 feet above the ground. They moved very slowly, about 56 kilometers or 35 miles per hour. That means it sometimes took two days for a blimp to reach its destination. In 2014, Goodyear produced newer blimps that are much faster. They cost over $20 million to build and contain a lavatory for the first time.

Thousands of LED lights on the blimps create signage that can display words or animated images that can be seen up to one mile away. If a blimp is punctured, the worst that will happen is that it will just slowly lose altitude,

which is good, since Goodyear says a blimp is shot at about 20 times a year. And yes, Goodyear blimps have two tires. It is estimated that 60 million people see a Goodyear blimp every year. It has become one of the most recognizable marketing mobiles in the world. And so has a certain Wienermobile.

One day in 1936, Oscar Mayer's nephew Carl came to him with an idea. It was the depths of the Depression, 1936, Oscar Mayer's nephew Carl came to him with an idea. It was the depths of the Depression, and Carl thought people needed something to make them smile. He said, Uncle Oscar, we need a wienermobile. Surprisingly, Uncle Oscar agreed, and the first Oscar Mayer marketing mobile rolled out of the factory. It was a giant wiener on wheels, 13 feet long. Originally, the Wienermobile was just used to drive Oscar Meyer's spokespersons to events in the Chicago area. When World War II started and gas rationing went into effect, the Wienermobile

was parked. But after the war, Oscar Meyer launched five automotive Wieners that roamed the country. In 1958, Oscar Mayer hired a top industrial designer to revamp the fleet, and he unveiled the Wiener of the Future. The main design change was to put the Wiener in the bun. That gave the Wienermobile its signature look, a 27-foot wiener in a bun with a cockpit. I had to say that sentence very carefully. As the designer said at the time,

there's nothing more aerodynamic than a wiener. In the 1980s, Oscar Mayer began hiring college students to drive wienermobiles around the country. Called hot-doggers, they're usually students studying public relations or advertising. It's a pretty desirable gig. 2,000 people apply every year for just 12 positions. In the mid-90s, the Wienermobile grew to 27 feet long, 11 feet high, and weighed a beefy 10,500 pounds, which can make it a bit unwieldy.

A hot dogger once tried a failed attempt at turning around in a cul-de-sac, put it in the wrong gear, and drove that wiener right through a Wisconsin home. In 2004, the wiener wagons were updated with a voice-activated GPS system, an audio center with massive speakers, and a horn that plays this jingle in 21 genres from rap to bossa nova. Oh, I'd love to be an Oscar Mayer wiener. That is what I'd truly like to be. Cause if I were an Oscar Mayer wiener, Everyone would be in love with me

In 2016, Oscar Mayer merged a Wienermobile with an RV to create a Wienerbago. You can even Airbnb it. Currently, there are a total of six motorized Wieners on the road, making over 1,400 stops per year. How important is the Wienermobile to Oscar Mayer? Well, it has its own app, and the mobile Wiener is incorporated into all the company's packaging. Around the same time the Wienermobile was born, so was the Nutmobile. Back in 1906, two Italian immigrants started the Planters Peanut Company. In 1916, the company held a contest to create a mascot.

That contest was won by a 14-year-old kid who came up with Mr. Peanut, a peanut with a monocle, a top hat, and a walking cane. Just like Oscar Mayer, planters wanted to create something that would make people smile during the Depression. So in 1937, the Nutmobile was rolled out. A planter's salesman designed it to look like a giant peanut on wheels with a shell-like exterior and the giant Mr. Peanut mascot sat

straddling the trunk. The Nutmobile was a highly visible promotional vehicle that made appearances at hundreds of events around the country every year. Over time, the Nutmobile expanded to a fleet of three. They were 26 feet long, 11.5 feet tall, and weighed as much as 3 million peanuts,

which is about 6,600 pounds. Each Nutmobile had a sunroof so Mr. Peanut could poke his head out to say shalow. They each carried about 300 pounds of nuts to give away, and they ran on biodiesel that can be made from peanuts. The vehicle was actually street legal.

It could reach speeds of up to 130 kilometers or 80 miles per hour, and had enough power to pass on the highway, which must have been alarming for some motorists. Whoa. After nearly 85 years of driving across the nation for peanuts, the nutmobiles were finally retired in 2021.

Back in 1947, the Toronto Telegram newspaper and the Toronto Traffic Safety Council got together to create a safety mascot. It was called Elmer the Safety Elephant and was designed by an ex-Disney cartoonist.

Elmer taught kids how to stay safe in traffic, because an elephant never forgets. You must always watch where you're going, then you won't get hurt in traffic. I'll remember that, Elmer. Good. Remember all my six safety rules. They'll help you see and be seen. Elmer was so effective, traffic accidents involving children dropped a whopping 44% in the years immediately after the safety elephant was introduced. But after 20 years of flying solo, Elmer needed the help of a sidekick. In the late 1960s, Toronto Police Sergeant Roy Wilson approached radio station CHUM to sponsor a new safety mascot. He called it Blinky, the talking police car.

Blinky was a standard-issue Metro Police Plymouth Fury that was modified to incorporate two large eyes and a long nose. And Blinky did just that. Its eyes blinked, much to the delight of kids. Soon, Blinky was able to not just blink, but wink, and was given a voice with the addition of speakers connected to a microphone at the driver's seat. Through those speakers, kids were taught safety rules. Blinky couldn't be driven because it didn't have an engine,

so it was towed to schools and events and took part in the annual Toronto Santa Claus parade. By the 1970s, Blinky was so popular, Irwin Toys and Tonka got into a bidding war to license Blinky toys, T-shirts, and collectibles. But the Toronto Metro Police, who were Blinky's guardians, rejected the offers. In 1975, the Toronto Star paid for a short 10-minute Blinky safety film. The voice of Blinky was performed by the late, great Len Carlson, who I did many commercials with back in the day. Hi, my name is Blinky. Well, that's part of my name.

My whole name is Blinky the Talking Police Car. Over 100,000 students saw that film. When visiting schools, Blinky had two different presentations depending on the age of the school kids. Kindergarteners got a song and a poem. Great-aiders got a frightening demonstration where Blinky slowly backed over a doll filled with red paint. But by 2005, Blinky was in a sorry state. His speakers had been removed, his blinking system had broken down,

and he had one malfunctioning eye. I feel ya, Blinky. These days, the once-famous talking police car is mostly retired, but Blinky still makes an appearance at the annual Toronto Santa Claus Parade. If you live in a major city, there is no doubt you've seen the Red Bull product mobiles. They are modified

Mini Coopers, painted in the Red Bull colors, and sport giant Red Bull cans over their trunks and roofs. The rise of Red Bull is a remarkable story. An Austrian entrepreneur went to Thailand and spotted an energy tonic there. It was supposed to keep drinkers awake and alert. Recognizing its commercial potential, the entrepreneur then struck a deal to take it

to Europe, then North America. To compete against established soft drinks like Coke and Pepsi would be hopeless. So Red Bull in unique, slim cans. It made another savvy decision. It would not market its product in the usual ways. The company began by leaving empty Red Bull cans all over popular bars, prompting people to ask, what is that Red Bull stuff? Instead of spending money in traditional media, it spent its marketing dollars sponsoring extreme sports, music festivals, Formula One teams, and publicity stunts, including the skydiver who parachuted down from Earth's stratosphere.

And a big element of its marketing is the fleet of Red Bull Mini Coopers. There are reportedly over 500 Red Bull can cars roaming the planet to promote the energy drink. Every Mini has been converted to be a kind of tiny pickup truck.

The entire rear end has been modified to accommodate a giant Red Bull can, and two flaps open up to fill the refrigerated tailgate with cans of Red Bull. Most brands choose big, long vehicles to attract attention, but Red Bull went against the grain by choosing the smallest cars possible. Most brands have less than half a dozen mascot mobiles. Red Bull has hundreds.

Introduced to North America in 1997, the company sold its billionth can by 2001. Red Bull's strategy is to push its brand, not its drinks. By doing that, it now commands a 43% market share in the energy drink category. Having a big photogenic presence at fun events is a key social marketing tactic. Red Bull, like all the companies we talked about today, understands the secret of a roaming fleet of marketing mobiles. It gives you wings.

Marketing mobiles have been around for more than 100 years. They are powerful promotional vehicles that make you smile while imprinting the shape and design of the product on your mind. Back in the early 1900s, automobiles were an exciting new innovation, and product mobiles became an exciting new advertising medium. Their novel design featured products in a larger-than-life size, they roamed the nation giving away free samples, and their mobility truly made them rolling billboards.

The Oscar Mayer Wiener car became so popular, Hot Wheels even released a toy version. Today, you can even Airbnb a Wienermobile. Hundreds of Red Bull Mini Coopers fan out all over the world, and the Goodyear blimp still floats above the biggest events of the year. If attention is the oxygen of a brand, marketing mobiles are an even more valuable asset in our always-on Instagrammable world. When you're under the influence.

I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the Terrastream Mobile Recording Studio. Producer, Debbie O'Reilly. Sound Engineer, Jeff Devine. Research, Abby Forsyth and Patrick James Aslan. Under the influence theme by Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre, music provided by APM Music. You can follow me at Terry O. Influence.

This is Season 12. If you liked this episode, you might also enjoy Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel Marketing TV Shows, Season 9, Episode 1. You'll find it in our archives. You can also find our podcasts on the new Apostrophe YouTube channel. And if you think there are too many ads in a show about advertising, you may already be a wiener. You can now listen to our podcasts ad-free on Amazon Music.

See you next time. Fun fact! Oscar Mayer created a smaller wienermobile out of a Mini Cooper. It's more of a cocktail weenie.