Have we tuned out of the jingles?

Audiences are evolving. From seeing 40-60-second ads to getting used to 15-second reels, with brands competing for our attention, jingles have become scarce.

Interruptions are not welcomed.? If someone finds an ad intruding and there is an option to skip, one will do so.?

Let's go back a bit though - what even are jingles??

A jingle is basically a short, catchy, easy-to-remember song or tune used in advertising and marketing campaigns to promote a brand, product, or service.

Did you know the first radio jingle came out almost a hundred years ago? A breakfast cereal commercial for a brand called Wheaties launched ‘Have You Tried Wheaties’ in 1926. -

Check the Wheaties jingle here!

It was only in the 80s when jingle marketing picked up in India. An increase in radio and television sets made advertising houses focus on both marketing channels and creativity.?

We all know the infamous Nirma girl, right? The ‘washing powder Nirma’ (if you didn’t read this but sang this, Hi5) became one of the most famous and influential advertising jingles in that decade.

All these jingles made in the 90s, from Bajaj’s ‘Humara Bajaj’ or Cadbury’s ‘kuch khaas hai hum sabhi mein’ live rent-free in our head. But have you ever wondered why?

Why do I remember jingles more than I thought I ever would?

The science behind this is simple - earworms.?

Earworms are snippets of music that are pushed into your brain almost subconsciously - the ones that pop in your head for no reason.

They are stored under the umbrella of involuntary memory, a component that occurs when cues encountered in everyday life trigger recollections without any conscious effort.?

We don’t go out of our way to jam to ‘sabki pasand nirma’ jingle over and over again - its existence confuses our neutral circuits.

The right thing to ask is - why were jingles popular back then vs what happened now?

Let’s try to connect the dots.

> Radio was introduced in India in 1922, but it was only in the 1990s when FM broadcasting actually became an every Indian household thing. That’s also when the Indian economy was booming, which led to a push for TVs to become more common.?

> There was a mix of creativity and usage of proper marketing channels during this time. The internet era boomed, liberalisation took place and advertising jingles and slogans became the norm. Everyone eagerly watched the ads too, unlike today.

> Television evolved from radio and in radio, jingles were obviously more important than visuals. Few years and some great ad jingles later, TV ad industry moved away from its radio roots, and jingles became less important than visuals.

> Soon enough, special effects and CGI (computer-generated imagery) happened.?

The modern audience is more attracted to ads that look good.?

So, the ad industry has been focusing more on making their ads visually impressive first.?

Moreover, buying music rights of popular songs viewers already listen to is easier. No jingle writer to be hired,? no song to be written, no music rights to take care of, no special instruments or a team to hire — the visuals are edited together with the sound and the rest takes care of itself. Sounds a little less hectic, doesn’t it?

Fast forward to 2024, and in the reel era, jingles are close to non-existent.??

Packing the idea, adding a surprise and making it iconic enough to make an impact is challenging.

The impact of jingles on consumer behaviour

Songs and jingles evoke emotions, create brand recognition, and establish an emotional connection between consumers and brands, influencing consumer behaviour and decision-making. The repetitive nature of jingles reinforces brand messaging, making it memorable and creating familiarity with the product, which leads to increased trust and a sense of community among consumers.

According to a report, an electroencephalogram (EEG), a test that measures brain activity by recording the electrical signals produced by the brain took place. The average purchase intention of the group who heard music was 4.36, while the group without music averaged 3.64.

The people BTS of creating our favourite jingles

1. Kailash Surendranath: Created the jingle for Nirma's washing powder ad

1. Vanraj Bhatia: Composed music for the legendary Cadbury and Humara Bajaj ads.

1. AR Rahman: Wrote for Hum Mein Hai Hero - Hero MotoCorp TV Commercial Ad

Arguably the most significant growth phase came in the 90s. Advertising jingles and slogans became the norm.

How is the industry looking for jingle writers in today’s time?

While jingle writing was once a thriving industry, it's significantly declined in recent years. The rise of digital advertising, streaming services, and shorter attention spans has made traditional jingles not so relevant anymore.

From jingles to singles, marketing trends have changed from recording original ad tunes to using popular music as a background for ads today. With chart-toppers already in the hearts and minds of consumers, it is an easier and faster way to create impressions. That without the hassle of rhyming scripts and composing tunes. Thus came the end of the jingle era that we were ever so fond of.

Do we love the jingles that were once made and still sing them in our heads? Yes.

Do we think jingles won’t work anymore? Probably yes too. Our reel-ready brain isn’t up for it yet.

Congrats on reaching the end of this newsletter, we told you it will definitely be worth a scroll.??

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