New research highlights some of the iconic advertising jingles that have stood the test of time…
It’s almost a hundred years since the first jingle, “Have You Tried Wheaties?”, hit the UK airwaves on Christmas Eve 1926. Since then, commercial jingles have become part of the everyday.
New research has found over half of UK consumers (52%) of those polled find it hard to get jingles out of our heads, and a good jingle can also have us singing it all day long (41%). Furthermore, the majority (54%) find themselves singing jingles from their childhood, standing the test of time across the generations.
The sonic identity of a brand is also leading to increased consumer loyalty, with one in three respondents (30%) more likely to buy a product from a brand whose jingle they like. The research comes as leading beauty brand Maybelline New York relaunches its iconic jingle from the 1990s, ‘Maybe it’s Maybelline’.
The top spot from those polled is the Go Compare jingle which is a remake of the 1917 song Over There written by George M. Cohan that was popular with the United States military; and even features in a scene in stateside sitcom The Golden Girls as well as several other programmes long before its UK telly jingle revamp.
For those who go way back there were of course many local advertising ditties too in the days when ITV was a truly regional telly network. Those in the North East may remember the much missed Shepherds Department Stores, whose whole Tyne Tees Television advert comprised of a sung jingle.
‘Shepherds of Gateshead, the biggest and best store, Shepherds of Gateshead have what you’re looking for, there’s so much to see – and the car park is free, Shepherds of Gateshead for the whole family…’
And of course there are the seasonal offerings. Before the days of John Lewis and M&S giving us arty-farty festive promos (that have no product information in), there were the legendary Woolworth ads which peaked in the early 1980s with ‘Have a Cracking Christmas‘ – a full 60 seconds of products, celebrities and a catchy jingle.
‘Have a Cracking Christmas with Woolworth, a cracker of a Christmas shopping Spree. Woolworth prices, many of them crack down, Christmas Woolworth is the place to be…’
In the 1980s Typhoo Tea also created several fun adverts taking, like Go Compare, old songs and revamping them into a teabag jingle. ‘Ooh its a luvlie cuppa’, performed on a beach, by a pair of singing donkeys to Su Pollard proved memorable with its reworked Una Paloma Blanca – as did Frankie Howerd being serenaded, in his kitchen, by look-a-like Supremes to a Typhoo-ed version of Baby Love.
There were also loud jingles that either you loved or were annoyed by such as the Kia–Ora fruit drink promo and the Trio biscuit commercial where Susie was just so loud. None of these make the top ten…
The UK’s top ten most recognisable jingles
- Go Compare, Go Compare – Go Compare Insurance
- Just one Cornetto, give it to me – Walls Cornetto Ice Cream
- We buy any car, dot com – We Buy Any Car vehicle purchase company
- P-P-P-Pick up a Penguin – Chocolate Penguin Biscuit
- Washing machines live longer with Calgon – Calgon washing machine cleaner
- A Mars a day helps you work rest and play – Mars bar
- Do the shake and vac and put the freshness back – Shake ‘n’ Vac carpet freshener
- I’m Loving It – McDonalds Restaurants
- I feel like Chicken Tonight –Knorr’s Chicken Sauces
- Maybe you’re born with it…Maybe It’s Maybelline – Maybelline New York
When it comes to millennials, McDonald’s “I’m loving it” sting sneaks in at number two on the list while Maybelline’s “Maybe it’s Maybelline” jingle comes in at number five.
Dr Kelly Jakubowski, Associate Professor in Music Psychology at Durham University, comments on the phenomenon of jingles – and why some stick with us, and others are instantly forgettable.
“Our findings show that you can, to some extent, predict which songs are going to get stuck in people’s heads based on the song’s melodic content. The new Maybelline jingle taps into common features of ‘musically sticky songs’ – it has a fast, danceable tempo and unique intervals, such as leaps and repetitions, which set the track apart. The alliteration of the phrase “maybe it’s Maybelline” also helps ensure people remember it for days or months afterwards.”
Created in partnership with sonic branding agency, Sixième Son and creative agency, Gotham, Maybelline New York’s new creative campaign will unveil the refreshed brand melody, capturing the essence of New York City while playing into the city’s dynamic energy and distinctive sounds. With a driving beat that illustrates the power of NYC and chords that uplift and empower, the jingle underscores Maybelline’s long-standing tradition of making memories and shaping culture.
