1965 Ads: Hot Dogs for Memorial Day!

Have you ever heard about that research study claiming that eating a hot dog can shave about a half hour from your life expectancy? It basically states that hot dogs are about the worse thing that you can hungrily shove into your gaping maw.

I don't really believe that. As Mom always preached, "Everything in moderation." Just don't eat them all the time.

The hot dog study (probably commissioned by the Hamburger Association of America) certainly hasn't kept me from ordering the occasional delicious coney dog at Dog 'N Suds this spring. (BTW, Dog 'N Suds will be the subject of a major post next month.)

Anyway, it seems that hot dogs have had a strong connection with Memorial Day cookouts for a long time; well, at least since 1965.

Above is a Lawsons ad that ran in the Lorain Journal back on May 28, 1965. Wieners are definitely top dog in the ad. I like the illustration of a chef-hatted dad ringing a Western dinner triangle, like he was Wishbone on Rawhide.

And below are two ads that ran in the Journal on the same day: May 26, 1965. One is for Sugardale Coneys and the other is for Superior's Frankies - the Keener Wiener. (Both companies have been featured on this blog before.) The Sugardale Coneys package has its great Hamlet the pig mascot; the Superior's Frankies has our old pal Frankie.

If these 1965 ads give you a hankering for a frankfurter, just exercise some moderation. 

Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that Frankie is still employed as spokeswiener for Superior's. In fact, it doesn't even look like the company even makes hot dogs any more.

Sugardale still makes its tube steaks, but it doesn't look like Hamlet is featured on the package these days. 

The porcine mascot probably retired to some Ohio, er, hamlet –  where he can live in peace, far from big city butchers and meat processors.