6 Advertising Jingles that Changed the Way We Look at Jingles
Vismaiy | for Bootstrap Media
A good advertising jingle has the power to strike an emotion and get stuck in your head for days. There is a certain stigma around jingles that they’re cheesy or dated, but that is also one of the reasons why more tongue-in-cheek and companies around the world have embraced them historically. Here are five advertising Jingles that changed the way we look at jingles.
McDonald’s
Back in 2003 McDonald’s launched their “I’m Lovin’ It” campaign with Justin Timberlake singing the lyrics of the jingle that took the world by a storm. According to Pitchfork (pitchfork.com) “I’m Lovin’ It” has been one of the longest running marketing slogans, with the jingle’s “ba da ba ba ba” vocal hook being on air for over 13 years. McDonald’s introduced “I’m Lovin’ It” with five commercials, aimed at different demographics, translated into 11 languages, and at times customized for certain regions.
Rajasthan Tourism #MusicSthan
Rajasthan tourism’s slogan "Janey kya dikh jaye" was accompanied by one of the most innovative jingles in recent advertising history. A typical Rajasthani folk tune with surreal lyrics and electronic fusion culminated into a cultural marvel in the form of #MusicSthan. In the ad film, Jim Sarbh goes around exploring the sounds of the state and composes the beautiful tune of the jingle. The jingle has not only managed to sustain an advertising campaign, it also reflects the cultural milieu of one of the most soulful states in India.
Bajaj Auto
'Buland bharath ki Buland taqdeer’ (An uplifted India's, uplifted future) struck the essential chords of emotion and represented the spirit of Indian culture and a regular Indian’s ideals. Bajaj’s the then tagline, was accompanied by a powerful jingle and an ad-film which portrayed the Bajaj owner as - 'not the ordinary common man on the street.' It put them in an indispensable position and incorporated them into the very core the brand’s values. The jingle managed to resonate with all age groups as it represented essential Indian-ness, to the extent that it has found a separate space in pop culture, with countless references in Bollywood movies and TV series.
Cadbury
One of the most daring ads campaigns in the world, Cadbury’s ad film did something that was never seen before. It had the haunting tune of ‘In the air tonight’ sung by Phil Collins with an adult gorilla unbelievably playing the drums to the song. Just watch the video, you’ll see what we mean.
Vodafone
Vodafone’s advertising campaign in India, carried on with the same popular pug that had become a brand ambassador for Hutch. ‘Where ever you go, our network follows,’ was the previous slogan with the pug following the child wherever he goes. The campaign’s objective was to announce the entry of Vodafone into India and highlight the metamorphosis of Hutch into Vodafone. Ogilvy & Mather came up with a rather direct, thematic ad showing the trademark pug in a garden, moving out of a pink coloured kennel which symbolised Hutch making his way into a red one that is the Vodafone colour. A more energetic, chirpier version of the ‘You and I’ tune associated with Hutch was played towards the end, and it concludes with ‘Change is good. Hutch is now Vodafone’.
Airtel
Though not a jingle per say, Airtel gave us one of the most memorable tunes in a collaboration with the Mozart of Madras, AR Rahman. A simple tune synthesized to perfection the tune still rings in our heads every time we think of Airtel. The tune resonated throughout the country and successfully managed to create brand recall for Airtel without lyrics. It just proves that music is a universal language and that it can transcend barriers of geography cultures and languages.
Though the jingle has proven to be such a strong marketing tool, it’s scarcer in today’s market than it was in the past. This decline is partly due to the rising trend of licensing pop music for ads, as brands and artists have seen the value in this type of cross-promotion. What are some jingles that have left an impression on you? Let us kno