Kraft Foods? Oscar Mayer brand has a new mobile application that enables consumers to virtually locate, drive and take photos with its Wienermobile.

To promote Oscar Mayer hotdogs, the consumer packaged goods brand has a series of automobiles shaped like a hot dog on a bun that travel around the United States. The app also includes an in-store activation, enabling users to scan Oscar Mayer products to earn virtually currency that can be used to unlock content on the app.

?At Oscar Mayer, we?re always looking for ways to innovate ? not only in terms of technology, but to better the consumer experience as well,? said Tom Bick, senior director of integrated marketing and advertising at Oscar Mayer. ?We wanted to give fans an interactive, social way to experience the joy of the Wienermobile, whether the 27-foot long hot dog is visiting their hometown or halfway across the country.

?The app is an iOS and Android-compatible platform that allows fans to find out when the vehicle is within their city limits, add the Wienermobile to their photos and engage in a first-person Wienermobile racing game,? he said.

Where is the Wienermobile?
Kraft Foods is levering mobile to hotdogs to extend access to the Wienermobile anytime and anywhere.
The app helps the brand connect with fans of the vehicle both on and off the road through geolocation, photo-sharing and gaming functionality.

According to the company, the app was designed to address the three biggest questions it gets from customers about the vehicle. These are where is the Wienermobile, how does someone take a photo with the vehicle and how can someone drive it.

Unlocking Wiener Bucks
The app includes three key sections to address these questions. 

The first is ?Find the Wienermobile,? where users can determine when a Wienermobile is within 200 miles of their current location.

The ?Park in my Driveway? section enables users to insert an image of the Wienermobile into any photo and share across social media.

The ?Drive the Wienermobile? section is a game enabling players to virtually race the Wienermobile through various courses.

Players can earn and redeem Wiener Bucks to unlock new features and enhance their own vehicle in the game by scanning packages of Oscar Mayer products on store shelves.

The app will be promoted to consumers at local Wienermobile events this summer. The events will have iPads pre-loaded with the app so consumers can play the Wienermobile game and gain access to codes to unlock a bonus course on their own device.

Oscar Mayer is also leveraging social media to drive viral awareness of the Wienermobile using @Wienermobile on Twitter and @theWiernermobile on Instagram.

The Wienermobile mobile app is available for free for iOS and Android devices. It was created and designed by augmented reality agency Gravity Jack.

Crafting a mobile program
The Wienermobile program is the latest example of how Kraft is integrating mobile and social into its marketing efforts.

Last month, Kraft was one of the first marketers to take advantage of Pinterest?s new Promoted Pins as a way to reach Kraftrecipes.com customers with the right content at the right time (see story).

In April, Kraft Foods? Oscar Mayer Deli Fresh brand got a boost via geo-targeting, in-store ads and iBeacon-delivered mobile alerts as part of a campaign to support several new Deli Fresh flavors (see story).

?Beginning this summer, local Wienermobile events will include a revamped setup that gives visitors a firsthand look at the app, as well as exclusive features,? Mr. Bick said. ?It will also be our main message to fans and media throughout the summer.

?At all of the vehicle?s events throughout the summer the Wienermobile will have iPad stations, pre-loaded with the app, setup for fans to try and enjoy,? he said. ?Everyone will have an opportunity to play the Wienermobile app?s racing game, and gain access codes to unlock a bonus course on their own device.?

Final Take
Chantal Tode is associate editor on Mobile Marketer, New York