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The Oscar Mayer Wienermobile is getting a new name

But is its new name a wiener ... or the wurst?
Weinermobile
Forget the Wienermobile — this is the Frankmobile.Courtesy Oscar Mayer

America’s most famous encased meat-themed vehicle is going through a big change, and it might come as a surprise, to be frank.

On May 17, Oscar Mayer announced that its iconic Wienermobile is entering a new era — and with that comes a new name for the first time since its 1936 debut. Without further ado, the 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels will be now known by its new name: the Frankmobile.

Also, the formerly-known-as Hotdoggers, the pair of caretakers that sit behind the wheel of the Frankmobile, are now known as Frankfurters. And the Wiener Whistles are now known as Frank Whistles — but don’t worry, they still make the same noise, probably.

“The newly coined ‘Frankmobile’ pays homage to the brand’s 100% Beef Franks as it debuts a tasty new recipe with a more balanced flavor profile and iconic beefy taste that is more flavorful than ever — all while sparking miles of smiles and uniting fans around a love of meat,” reads a release from Oscar Mayer.

For those curious if all six vehicles in the Weinermobile fleet — our apologies, Frankmobile fleet — traveling around these United States are permanently stuck with the new name, you’re not alone. Folks online reacted to the news with a mixture of shock and surprise.

“IS NOTHING SACRED,” wrote one person on Twitter.

“Isn’t this the kind of injustice local journalism should be fighting against?” asked another.

“Oh, I wish I was an Oscar Mayer … frank…” someone else tweeted, adding a GIF of a record scratch to their rendition of the iconic jingle.

“Nope. She will always be the wienermobile to me,” wrote another.

But ... is the new name permanent?

“For now, the Frankmobile is a name Oscar Mayer is trying out to see if it cuts the mustard with its fans,” an Oscar Mayer spokesperson told TODAY.com. “The Wienermobile leveraged Oscar Mayer’s famous Wieners for almost a century, and Oscar Mayer is now passing the baton onto its 100% Beef Franks, as it debuts a new, tasty recipe this summer.”

Wienermobile
The Frankmobile from the front.Courtesy Oscar Mayer

Oscar Mayer is known for using its sausage on wheels to extol the virtues of its product, turning one of its vehicles into both a wedding chapel earlier this year, a bed and breakfast in 2019, among other transformative events at various times in its past.

All of this brings to mind another company’s temporary and controversial name change that made news in 2018. The International House of Pancakes, aka IHOP, announced that it was changing its name to IHOB.

This announcement was meant to tout the addition of burgers to its menus, but was met on the internet with near-universal despair, befuddlement and jokes. The company later announced the whole thing was a marketing ploy and that the IHOP name was here for good.

To celebrate the name change, the Frankmobile is also offering “Franks for Franks,” meaning that anyone named an iteration of “Frank” can stop by any of the vehicles in real life and get their hands on a coupon for a free pack of Oscar Mayer 100% Beef Franks.

Folks named Francisco, Francine, Franconia, Franklin, or anything else who are interested in seeing the Frankmobile IRL can visit Oscar Mayer via its website or on social media.