Oscar Mayer facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Founded | 1883 |
| Founder | Oscar F. Mayer |
| Headquarters |
,
U.S.
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| Parent | Kraft Heinz |
Oscar Mayer is a famous American company. It makes many popular meat products. You might know them for hot dogs, bologna, bacon, ham, and Lunchables. The company is part of the Kraft Heinz Company. Its main office is in Chicago, Illinois.
Contents
The Story of Oscar Mayer
How It All Started
German immigrant Oscar F. Mayer (1859–1955) came to America. He started working in meat markets. In 1883, Oscar and his brother Gottfried opened their own market. It was in Chicago, Illinois. They sold German sausages like bratwurst and liverwurst. These were very popular in the German neighborhoods nearby.
Their market quickly became well-known. They even sponsored events like the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. By 1900, the company had 43 employees. They delivered meat all over Chicago. In 1904, Oscar Mayer started putting its brand name on meats. This helped customers know they were getting quality products. The company also volunteered for the new federal meat inspection program in 1906.
In 1919, Oscar Mayer expanded. They bought a processing plant in Madison, Wisconsin. This plant worked very well. In 1957, Madison became the main office for the company.
Changes in Ownership
For almost 100 years, Oscar Mayer was an independent company. It was owned by the Mayer family. In 1981, the company was sold to General Foods. Later, Philip Morris bought General Foods. In 1989, Philip Morris combined General Foods with Kraft Foods. This created Kraft General Foods.
In 2015, the owner, Kraft Heinz, made a big announcement. They decided to move Oscar Mayer's main office to Chicago. They also planned to close some factories. This was to make the company work more efficiently.
In 2017, Oscar Mayer decided to make their hot dogs even better. They wanted them to be healthier for people. This new plan aimed to increase hot dog sales.
Famous Advertisements
Oscar Mayer has created many memorable TV commercials. One famous ad from 1963 featured a young girl. She led other children in a song about being an Oscar Mayer wiener. This song was written by Richard D. Trentlage.
Another popular commercial came out in 1973. It showed a four-year-old boy singing about his bologna. He sang, "My bologna has a first name, it's 'O-S-C-A-R'...". This commercial became one of the longest-running TV ads ever.
Oscar Mayer is also famous for its Wienermobile. This special vehicle looks like a giant hot dog. It has traveled all over the United States for more than 80 years. The very first Wienermobile was made in 1936.
In 2019, Oscar Mayer started sponsoring Ryan Newman in the NASCAR Cup Series. He drove the number 6 Roush Fenway Racing car.
See also
In Spanish: Oscar Mayer para niños
