Why we should bring the jingle back

Years before YouTube videos went viral, a well-crafted jingle could live on for years inside the heads of thousands of ambivalent hosts.

Decades before social media stars were paid to ‘influence’ their followers, our own brains were periodically reminding us to ‘pick up a Penguin’ or ‘do the Shake n’ Vac’.

Jingles have fallen out of favour recently, seen by many as kitsch or dated. But since when is advertising about what’s cool? Advertising is about reach. It’s about effectiveness. It’s about sales.

I mean, imagine if Wall’s owed me a royalty every time I advertised ‘Just one Cornetto’ to myself. Add in all the family, friends and colleagues who hear me singing daily about ‘delicious ice cream from Italy’, and you’ve got a fantastically cost-effective marketing channel.

And I don’t think jingles are kitsch at all. The best jingles, telling a complete brand story in as little as two or three notes and well-chosen words, are pocket masterpieces. With life busier and attention spans more limited than ever, it’s time to revive these two-second symphonies.

It’s time to bring the jingle back.

Nigel
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