Is the honeymoon over for the Weinermobile and Hawaii?

Ever wish you could go back to an easier time when a man could have his hot-dog-shaped automobile flown across the Pacific Ocean in order to bring processed-meat joy to the citizens of a far-off land?

Well, friends, that time may have come and gone. The Outdoor Circle, a nonprofit organization founded in 1912 “to protect and preserve the scenic environment of Hawaii,” has a beef with Oscar Meyer — arguing that the Weinermobile’s recent appearance in Oahu was a violation of Hawaii’s billboard ban. 

The ban on billboards was strengthened by a 2006 law, which prohibits driving or parking a vehicle for the sole purpose of advertising. This law was passed in response to complaints over mobile billboards that sit in the bed of trucks, which are common in many other urban areas across the country.

At stake is the issue of whether the hot dog mobile is considered a promotional vehicle rather than a hot dog-shaped van carrying people and supplies to promotional events. Right now moving companies and other commercial interests in Hawaii are allowed to have advertisements on the sides of trucks that are used for reasons other than advertising.