Promotional Vehicles - Part 1: Marketing on Wheels

Promotional vehicles, in the US first and in Europe later, anticipated television. In what sense? Looking at them one can immediately understand: the still rather exclusive appeal of the automobile and its ability to move and present itself at large public events with a strong advertising message, anticipated the classic commercial when TV did not yet exist. We are in the first decades of the 20th century and advertising cars proved to be perfect for attracting the attention of the public, including children with a natural role as family ‘influencers’, and promoting products or companies in an innovative and spectacular way. One of the earliest documented examples is the Pep-O-Mint vehicle of 1918, built on a Dodge base. Life Savers, manufacturer of the famous mint sweets, commissioned a special car to advertise their product. This vehicle was made like a giant Pep-O-Mint packet and could not go unnoticed. It was a revolutionary idea with an added opportunity: they could also hand out free candy to those present.

One of the first promotional vehicles was that of Life Savers to advertise the famous Pep-O-Mint candy made on a Dodge base in 1918.
But the idea did not stop with food products: the brothers Albert and Henry Peters, for example, of Peters' Brothers Shoe Co. in Oakland and San Francisco, realised that one of their delivery trucks could have a dual purpose: to advertise their shoes. Starting with the most successful men's shoe model, size 11 1/2, they projected it to the generous dimensions of their 1921 Chevrolet. They certainly did not go unnoticed!

The Peters' Brothers Shoe Co. of Oakland and San Francisco decided to advertise their business by building a real shoe with wheels on a Chevrolet base.

Promotional vehicles became increasingly elaborate and scenic such as Oscar Mayer's iconic Wienermobile from the mid-1930s, a vehicle in the shape of a giant hot dog that became a symbol of American advertising creativity. Other brands followed suit, creating customised vehicles for travelling promotional campaigns, first and foremost Coca-Cola with its distinctive trucks.

Oscar Mayer’s Wienermobile, built in the mid-1930s as a giant hot dog. Though the original no longer exists, several versions of the Wienermobile are still in use today.

Another car that has become famous throughout the States is the peanut-shaped NUTmobile first built in 1935 and driven across the country for promotional purposes to this day. During the year the "Peanutters", as the drivers of these vehicles are called, travel across the country distributing peanut samples, Mr. Peanut memorabilia and other Planters brand products.

The NUTmobile, created in 1935 by Planters and shaped like a peanut, was designed to promote Mr. Peanut products across the United States.

In Europe, the post-war economic boom and, again, the lack of television in those years, further favoured the spread of these cute advertising and promotional media. Italy and France in particular seized the opportunity to make the most of the hedges of crowds that accompanied the Tour de France and its yellow jersey and the Giro d'Itala with its winner in the pink jersey. Also conducive to creativity in these two countries was the presence of many ‘creative’ coachbuilders perfect for responding to the extravagant ideas of advertising on wheels.

The postwar boom helped popularize promotional vehicles in Europe too—like this vacuum cleaner on wheels from Hoover.