I don’t know about you, but I firmly believe music holds power. A lot of power. I’m a faith kind of girl, so in particular I believe worship music holds extreme power, but all types of music can be powerful when it comes to bringing to mind memories of days gone by, or uniting a group of people in a way that only music can.
Music can also be powerful in business and branding. How many jingles do you hear on television and radio commercials that wind up stuck in your head for days to follow? That’s effective marketing at it’s best.
Read the following lyrics: “Want a Fanta? / Don’t you want a, / want a Fanta?” If the voice in your mind suddenly began singing an octave or two higher, congratulations, you just experienced the power of one of the catchiest jingles of all time.
These tunes are so memorable that a 2012 study by Vienna University of Economics and Business concluded that they’re more effective than slogans alone.
Companies interested in increasing their recognition with an addicting tune should take a page from some of the catchiest jingles of 2014.
“Bus Opera” by J.G. Wentworth
First on the list is J.G. Wentworth, a financial services firm that specializes in purchasing structured settlements and annuities from individuals.
Their newest commercial is a full-scale musical, complete with creative lyrics, fun costumes and a catchy chorus. We bet you’ll be singing “Call J.G. Wentworth / 877-CASH NOW” all through your lunch hour after watching their ad on YouTube.
“The World is Ours” by Coca-Cola
Who could forget Coca-Cola’s rhythmic jingle for the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil? The slogan “The World is Ours” became as iconic as Big Red’s fizzy drink, thanks to this carnival-inspired song.
The entire commercial features upbeat music, feel-good imagery and visual repetition of words, making this a hard jingle to forget. Furthermore, Coca-Cola actually went through the trouble of creating 32 different versions of The World is Ours tailored to a variety of viewers, reports Businessweek.
Now that’s dedication.
“Get Up and Vote!” by the Election System of the Virgin Islands
Lesser-known is a jingle created by the Election System of the Virgin Islands. Their campaign raises awareness about the need to vote and encourages residents to “Get up / Get up / Get up / Get up / Get up / Get up and vote!”
This simple but effective jingle is featured on their main voting website and gets viewers excited about exercising their voting rights. Gone are the days of stuffy voting PSAs. It’s all about the infectious tunes now.
“The SafeAuto Jingle” by Angie Gillespie
This year SafeAuto hosted a jingle competition called DoTheJingle. The winner was Angie Gillespie from Kentucky and her quirky song about SafeAuto’s car insurance.
While walking to her car in the morning she states that the number “1-800-Safe-Auto / is the only one / you need to know” after a car accident. Her song is simple, repetitive and contains plenty of “earworms” which are short, melodic hooks that are almost impossible to forget.
Companies creating a jingle will want to make sure to include plenty of these for best effect.
“Stealthy Cat” by Meow Mix
You must be some kind of superhero if you don’t instantly start meowing after reading the words “Meow Mix.” In their Stealthy Cat commercial, the company waits until the end to introduce their signature “meow, meow, meow, meow” jingle.
Meanwhile, they taunt you with the catchy tune, encouraging you to start making cat noises before you even know what’s happening.
“C’mon, Let’s Play” by Toys R Us
Every ’90s kid remembers the Toys R Us lyrics, “I don’t want to grow up / I’m a Toys R Us kid.” However, it looks like the children’s toy chain has finally outgrown its own jingle.
Their new 2014 commercial now features the jingle “C’mon, Let’s Play.” Short, simple and to the point, this new slogan is paired up with a drum-based tune at the end of every Toys R Us commercial.
“I’m Loving It” by McDonalds
The King of Jingles has had over 30 jingles during its lifetime, including “Did somebody say McDonald’s?” and “Food, folks and fun.”
McDonald’s current catchphrase “I’m Lovin’ It” is still going strong in 2014. The fast food franchise’s most recent commercials oftentimes won’t say the slogan out loud but will only play the jingle, creating a strong association between words and music.
“When it Comes to Clean There’s Only One Mr.” by Mr. Clean
The jingle for this rather long slogan hasn’t changed since the 1950s, proving that sometimes you just don’t mess with a good gig.
Although the older version of the Mr. Clean jingle was quite obvious, the cleaning product company has chosen to be subtle in the 2014 commercials. The jingle is almost imperceptible but still very present at the end of every ad.
Over to You
Heard any cool jingles lately? What about them made them stand out? What made them memorable? Do tell in the comments below.