Commercials. If you watch TV, the regular kind of TV that airs in regular time, on any of the networks, you are bound to find commercials. They are a huge portion of the network’s revenue — the selling of those time spots to advertisers.
Commercials have changed, at least from what I’ve observed. Years ago, they were all pretty horrible to watch. They were annoying and dull at the same time. Kind of like that person at a party who wanders up to you and starts talking about layered mineral formations, and you can’t find a way to leave.
Anyway. These days, some commercials are mildly entertaining. If I’m being totally honest, I like the Kroger campaign running right now. For those who don’t have Kroger food stores in your area, they have ads featuring an animated cast of characters, which are both charming and fun to watch. But I’m an animation hound.
On the other end of the scale are the drug ads. The pharmaceuticals. I swear, one of the side effects of Enbrel, Dupixent, and Trembya, is Thai Chai. Everyone on those medications ends up in Thai Chai classes. Either that or in kayaks. I’d be very cautious before taking any of those for fear of unexplained urges to go camping.
But usually, commercials come with a song and a dance. Yes, the Jingle.
Wheaties was the first company trying to hook radio listeners to eat its cereal through the use of a catchy song in 1927. Ever since then, the jingles have been an important advertising tool. We probably don’t hear them today as much as we did 60 years ago, but the catchy melodies are still around.
Whether they work in selling products or not would be interesting to know. But, those earworms undoubtedly take up more space in our brains than we realize. We know the songs. We do. Listed here are the Top 20 Most Memorable Jingles. We can barely read through without thumping the song along in our heads.
1.” Nationwide is on your side”// Nationwide Insurance
2. “Ba-da-ba-ba-baaa … I’m lovin’ it” // McDonald’s
3. “Riiiicolaaa!”// Ricola cough drops
4. “Snap! Crackle! Pop! Rice Krispies”// (Kellogg’s Rice Krispies)
5. “They’re magically delicious!”// Lucky Charms
6. “Uh-oh! Spaghetti-O’s!”//Campbell’s Spaghetti-O’s
7. “Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there”// State Farm Insurance
8. “Mm-mm, good. Mm-mm, good”//Campbell’s Soup
9. “Gimme a break … break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar”// Kit Kat
10. “I don’t wanna grow up, I’m a Toys R Us kid”// Toys R Us
11. “Every kiss begins with K”// Kay Jewelers
12. “Ch-ch-ch-chia!” // Chia Pet
13. “I want my baby back, baby back, baby back …”//Chili’s
14. “Mommy, wow! I’m a big kid now”// Huggies
15. “The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup”// Folgers
16. “Be all that you can be”// U.S. Army
17. “What would you do for a Klondike Bar?”// Klondike ice cream bars
18. “Ace is the place with the helpful hardware man”// Ace Hardware
19. “Clap on! Clap off” // The Clapper
20. “Liberty, Liberty, Liberty … Liberty!”// Liberty Mutual Insurance
For better, or for worse, there they are. Sometimes they hit you when you least expect it. Like a bad cold.
I can say, without a doubt, that not one of these tunes has ever prompted me to buy or become the product, from Kit Kat Bars to Army Man. I’ve never sung the Lucky Charm song and run out and bought a box in the late hours of the night.
While I have shopped and consumed some of these products, it hasn’t been for the song. I had Big Macs long before anyone told me I was loving it.
As for the rest?
Clap On. Clap Off.
============
“Curiosity about life, in all its aspects, I think, is still the secret of great creative people.”
– Leo Burnett
===========
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
– Albert Einstein
===========
“The difference between the almost right word and the right word is the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning.”
– Mark Twain
===========
Commercials. Liberty, Liberty, Liberty. Liberty.
