Clara Adams: Hotdogger

Godspeed: good fortune; success (used as a wish to a person starting on a journey, a new venture, etc.).

Let’s be frank – this interview with Clara Adams is longer than a foot-long, but it’s worth it.  Just reading it makes me happy.

Clara interned for me a few years back while she was at Boise State University.  She displayed the hallmarks of being a great designer, early – see the image at the end of the interview with the poster and beer label she designed for a brewery client. Plus, she's just an all-around cool human being.  I knew she was headed for big things in her career.

So, when she graduated she exceeded even my expectations by applying for – and landing – a one-year gig driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile.

She then tagged on a stint driving the L.L. Bean Bootmobile.

Much admiration and respect! 🫡

Clara’s now a designer with Duft Waterson here in Boise, a creative agency and (whoop!) 1% for the Planet member.  I asked her a few questions about her post-college experience because I was curious; knew it would be entertaining; and because I'm a big fan of hers. 

I think you’ll become a fan, too.

Godspeed, friends.

Russ

What made you decide to take this quirky detour from the traditional career path when you graduated from college?

The pandemic hit in the middle of my four years at Boise State, so I missed out on a lot of the college experiences I’d been looking forward to. My mom encouraged me to explore something less traditional after graduation, though I don’t think she expected me to find it in a 27-foot-long hot dog on wheels. As strange as it sounds, the moment I learned the job existed, it just felt right. Like a calling. It was an immediate, “Yep. Hotdogger. That’s the next step.”

I’ve always wondered: What’s it like to drive a novelty vehicle? And were there driving differences between the Wienermobile and the Bootmobile?

The Wienermobile was, and probably always will be, the best vehicle I’ve ever driven. How many first jobs let you bring joy to hundreds of people every day just by driving down the road?

From a technical standpoint, it took two weeks of training and a two-hour test with a police academy before I felt confident behind the wheel. The sheer size of it, 27 feet long, (or 60 hot dogs), definitely took some getting used to. But once I got the hang of it, parallel parking felt pretty empowering.

I loved long drive days. You sit up high in a ketchup-red and mustard-yellow captain’s chair, surrounded by a fishbowl of windows with incredible visibility. The views were amazing. Almost as good as the reactions from people we passed by. We had a good aux setup too, so we would rotate co-pilots to stay fresh, and soundtrack the whole journey.

As for differences: the Wienermobile is built on a forward cab box chassis, while the Bootmobile (the vehicle I drove for L.L.Bean after my year with Oscar Mayer) is a converted Chevy Silverado, so they handle quite differently. Both require careful attention to height constraints (about 11 feet vs. 13 feet) and very defensive driving, especially with how many folks would rubber neck when seeing us or take out their phones on the road to snap a photo.

What's the weirdest place you've parked a 27-foot hot dog?

Probably in front of the Little White Chapel in Las Vegas. We hosted nine weddings there, complete with vows filled with hot dog–themed puns like “meat-trimony” and “forever linked.” There was a weenie whistle quartet, a wedding cake made entirely of hot dogs, and we dressed up in full hot dog wedding attire. It was covered by USA Today and People. Equal parts touching, bizarre, and magical.

You were basically a rolling billboard having thousands of conversations each week. What did you learn about the physical connection that traditional advertising misses?

Just that - the power of physical connection! And it’s not just about what you say - it’s how you listen! I got to hear story after story every day about the Wienermobiles impact on people’s lives. Sometimes they were small stories of someone receiving their first weenie whistle as a kid and feeling that childlike whimsy as they saw it again for the first time as an adult. One time, we got to hear about a Wienermobile that helped a whole hotel full of people use their car phone to let their loved ones know they were alright after the 1994 Northridge earthquake.

Q. You created thousands of smile-moments. How do companies measure the R.O.I of delight against traditional marketing spend?

There are traditional metrics–product sales often spiked in the cities we visited. We also tracked media hits, and submitted daily reports detailing coupon distribution, weenie whistles handed out, and standout interactions stories that could inspire future marketing moves. There’s also strategic value to the Wienermobile. Grocery store events help secure premium product placement on shelves. Having it parked outside attracts attention and local media coverage, and Oscar Mayer definitely leverages that.

Q. What skills did you learn from this work – and how to they carry over to the day-to-day business of your career as a designer?

Problem-solving and flexibility. Constantly! Plans changed at a moment’s notice. We might be headed to Florida and suddenly get a call that made us pull a U-turn (yes, our turning radius was that good) and drive to Virginia. We navigated our large vehicle through tight event spaces daily, communicated with event coordinators, and dealt with unexpected challenges—like getting our catalytic converter stolen in Las Vegas and still making it to Tucson in time to get a replacement without missing any events.

All of this translates directly into design: adapting quickly, solving unexpected problems, communicating clearly, and thinking creatively under tight deadlines.

Q. If you could put ANY cause or mission in a novelty vehicle and drive it across America, what would it be?

I’ve never been asked this question and love it so much. There are so many good causes and missions I’d like to get behind with experiential marketing, but right now, I think our nation needs more connection and compassion. I’d create a coffee bus that travels the country serving free drinks—but with one condition: you have to sit down and talk with someone you don’t know. It would visit neighborhoods and cities of all economic and ethnic demographics and create space for real conversations. The goal would be simple: listen, connect, and remind people of our shared humanity. 

Q. Any memorable experiences that you’d care to share?

Too many. There was the time we found ourselves on the runway of the Sioux falls regional airport, surrounded by planes and invited up to the air traffic tower for a private tour. There was the time we almost gave Serena Williams a ride. There was the time we got to party it up at Art Basil in Miami, and helped release the first weenie whistle NFT. And there were the little experiences that made every day memorable–getting invited to dinner by a stranger, stopping at all the silly roadside attractions, and just taking in this beautiful, diverse country one day, one mile, at a time!

Q. Lastly, what are your go-to condiments for a hot dog?

Depends on my mood. I usually keep it classy with mustard and onions. Though on the road, I always enjoyed trying the regional toppings of whatever part of the country I was in - slaw in the southeast, Sonoran-style in the southwest, and of course, the Chicago dog in the Midwest.

🤔 Think About It

"Noblest of all dogs is the hot dog; it feeds the hand that bites it." Laurence J. Peter

It's A Hot Day In Hell For Hot Dogs In Iceland

Why not keep the theme going? Inflation Hits Iceland Hard. Even Its Beloved Hot Dogs.

It's Time For Some Horseplay

Keeping in the spirit of having fun – we're all hotdoggers today! – here's a lively little exercise called "gradient horse," made by Michail Rybakov, where you can draw your own little horse then let it run wild in an animation with a pack of other user-generated horses. You can even make them jump for joy. (And the soundtrack is totally mesmerizing.)

Oh, that image you see above? That's my little mare – I call her Nickers – which should give you an idea about my artistic capabilities. Ready for some joy? Go ahead and give it a go.

And if you create a horsey, give it a name, screenshot it, and send it to me for sharing in a future issue.

The Help Line Is Now Open

Shout-outs and recommends this week to lift up members of our community:

• Gage Mitchell of branding agency Modern Species (which focuses on impact-driven CPG brands) has a podcast that's in the top 5% globally ranked podcasts, Brands for a Better World. Give it a listen – you'll be better off – and rate or review it while you're at it.
• Andrea Learned's podcast, "Name and Fame," shines a light on people taking positive climate action – and also helps individuals (like you?) develop their own brand of #climateinfluence. She's looking to guest on cross-sector podcasts to open eyes to the untapped potential people have to become climate influencers. Hit her up on LinkedIn.
• Randye Spina helps solopreneurs thrive using affordable marketing solutions – and because of a recent rebrand has a web address for sale that might be just right for someone here: marketing on a mission dot com. If you're interested, connect with Randye on LinkedIn. She's also offering a commission if you can connect her to a buyer.
• Lara Pearson runs Brand Geek, one of the best brand names and identities anywhere. Lara specializes in intellectual property law and cultivating brand protection strategies for social enterprises. She's always one of my first calls when taking on a brand assignment that requires trademarking expertise. So, hey – protect your IP – call Lara.

Bumper Sticker Of The Week

Oh, hey, I thought I'd drop one more thingy before I go, just cuz I thought you could use it. See you next week.

🤪 April Fools

Tomorrow is April Fools and no, I will not be fooling around with you this year. After all, how could I top last year's Ben & Jerry's prank? I mean, just last week I saw someone I hadn't seen in awhile and she asked, "Are you back visiting from Vermont?" 🤣 You can revisit the aftermath of last year's prank here.