From a “famous” storefront in Coney Island to thousands of carts that flank the street corners of Manhattan, a hot dog is undeniably an edible emblem of New York City. While a hot dog is typically not brimming with design chops, Herman Miller blended the line between style and sustenance with its Picnic on Park activation during NYCxDESIGN.
The event, which took place at Herman Miller’s Park Avenue South location from May 21 through May 23, celebrated the limited reprint of its Hot Dog Picnic Poster from 1973. Originally designed by Steve Frykholm, Herman Miller’s first in-house designer whose career spanned over 45 years, the Hot Dog Picnic Poster was just one of many company picnic posters he designed over the course of 20 consecutive years.
“Why hot dogs?” he once said. “I just felt like doing hot dogs.”
While Herman Miller’s Picnic Poster series was originally meant to be enjoyed internally, it quickly gained mainstream appeal and even made its way into the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City. “The Picnic Poster series released from 1970 to 1989 brought joy to Herman Miller employees and represents a well-loved company culture and tradition,” said Amy Auscherman, director of global archives and brand heritage at MillerKnoll.
The third in the Picnic Poster series to be reissued by Herman Miller as a limited-run reprint, the Hot Dog Picnic Poster is screen-printed on 100 percent cotton paper and encased in an American maple frame, which is available in three finishes. According to the brand, the meticulous process used today is meant to uphold the design ethos and technique Frykholm initiated in the 1970s.
“I’ve always depicted food as seen from the point of view of the Lilliputians in Gulliver’s Travels,” Frykholm said. “This point of view adds to the enjoyment and surprise of looking at the posters. How often do you get to change your whole perspective on something once a year for twenty years?”
The poster might’ve been the highlight of Herman Miller’s NYCxDESIGN activation, but visitors also received a collectible tote and print copy of the brand’s magazine, Ideas.
“There are many reasons Herman Miller is thriving after 100 years, and our ongoing receptivity to ideas is central to the brand’s success,” said Kelsey Keith, Brand Creative Director at Herman Miller. “The stories we tell in the magazine—and its accompanying social and digital experiences—explore the ideas behind all aspects of design, while tapping into Herman Miller’s spirit of adventure and history of innovation.”
Come lunchtime, guests could also receive a complimentary hot dog from Herman Miller’s accompanying cart. Because, after all, what is New York City without a hot dog in hand?
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