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The Power of an Earworm

An earworm is a song or melody that keeps repeating in your head. Some of the most commonly reported earworms are songs like It’s a Small World (Disney), Who Let the Dogs Out? (Baha Men), Gangnam Style (Psy), Karma Chameleon (Culture Club) and YMCA (The Village People). 

A truly well-crafted jingle has the potential to become one of these insanely catchy earworms. Before we dive into some of the best jingles to grace our screens, let’s explore how to create a jingle. 

Keep it simple. In the examples below, no jingle is longer than thirteen words. The shorter it is, the easier it is for your audience to remember! Use repetition, rhyme and keep your language simple.

Choose the right music. Make sure it has the right tempo and speed for the voiceover artist to sing along to. Do your market research as well to discover which music genre your audience will respond to.

Know your product. What is the unique selling point you want your jingle to convey? Do similar products use marketing jingles? How can you set yourself apart from the competition?

Jingle Jamming

Think you’re ready to create a jingle of your own? Before you do, look through Squideo’s top ten picks for the best advertising jingles. Consider what these jingles say about the brand. Which ones would work for your brand?

01. Haribo

Kids and grown-ups love it so, the happy world of Haribo.

Jingles are perfect for child-targeted advertising. These catchy songs catch their attention, ready to be repeated to their parents nonstop. The German confectionary company Haribo has used this jingle across all of its English-speaking markets for over twenty years, making it instantly recognisable to people of all ages. 

02. McDonald’s

Ba-da-ba-ba-baaa… I’m lovin’ it.

First used in 2003, this jingle was implemented at a time when sales for this enormous American fast-food chain was in trouble. Its stock prices had dropped and they needed to attract more customers – fast! German advertising firm Heye & Partner created this simple jingle which was rolled out internationally. It was only meant to play in McDonald’s adverts for two years… twenty years later, the jingle is still going strong. 

03. Cadbury’s Fudge

A finger of fudge is just enough to give your kids a treat.

To a younger generation, Cadbury’s most iconic advert is likely the Gorilla campaign which ran in 2007. Go back a few decades, however, and this jingle for Cadbury’s Fudge bar created one of the most popular advertising campaigns of the 1970s. There is a longer version which was played as a song in some adverts, however this shorter jingle remains more memorable. 

04. Hastings Direct

0800 00 1066.

Jingle’s usually contain one of three key pieces of information – the company name; the product; or how to get in touch. In 2005, Hasting’s Direct impressed their telephone number upon a nation – making 0800 00 1066 almost as well-known as 999. By choosing a familiar date (1066, the year of the Battle of Hastings which is taught to most Britons at school), half the work was done for them. Through repetition and the use of a catchy tune performed by their mascot Harry Hastings, the full phone number was soon memorised. Very clever!

05. Compare the Market

Compare the meerkat; compare the market. Simples!

First launched in 2009 on British and Australian television, the advertisers behind this campaign were dedicated to its success from the get-go. Creating a Facebook and Twitter account for their mascot Aleksandr the meerkat, and a fictional website for comparethemeerkat.com, the advert series runs to this day. And at the end of each advert comes this memorable jingle. 

06. Calgon

Washing machines live longer with Calgon. 

Whether or not the statement made by this jingle is true – trust us, there’s been a lot of debate over the years – the memorability certainly created a huge boom for Calgon sales. Despite Which? making a complaint to the Advertising Standards Agency in 2011 over the validity of its marketing claim, the jingle is still used in their adverts thirty years on from its introduction. A true credit to its effectiveness. 

07. Lilt

With a totally tropical taste.

Launched in 1975, the drink soon became associated with its jingle thanks to some memorable advertising campaigns that ran in the 1980s and 90s, including the popular “Lilt Man.” Unfortunately, in February 2023, it was announced by Lilt’s owners, Coca Cola, that the drink would be replaced by ‘Fanta Pineapple and Grapefruit.’ We’ll certainly be sad to see the last of these adverts but glad the tropical taste survives. 

08. Toys ‘R’ Us

I don’t want to grow up, I’m a Toys ‘R’ Us kid.

This jingle for Toys ‘R’ Us, which was used in the 1980s and 90s, and was co-written by the crime novelist James Patterson. That’s an interesting piece of trivia for your next quiz night! This memorable line was produced by the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency. The idea was to create a simple jingle that children could easily memorise and sing along with when it came on the television. It was later extended into a song. 

09. PC World

Where in the world? PC World.

Considering the brand no longer exists, it’s a testament to the power of a jingle that it is still remembered long after the company it represented. After its merger with Curry’s, ‘Curry’s PC World’ still used the jingle for a time in its new adverts, clearly recognising a useful marketing tool when they saw it. Removing the PC World name in 2021, the only trace left of this former retail chain is a jingle that refuses to leave the head of anyone who ever heard it. 

10. Cadbury’s Smash

For mash get Smash.

As the second Cadbury jingle to enter the list, it really goes to show this company knows what it’s doing! Launched in 1969, Smash is a brand of instant mashed potatoes – although it is no longer owned by Cadbury. Cadbury introduced the iconic Smash Martians in 1974 to promote their product through a catchy jingle. It was so memorable that in 2005 it was voted the UK’s most popular advert. The Martians even received their own fan mail while the advert was aired!

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