Reasons for Jingles in Advertising

Jingles are a form of rhyme, and they've been around for centuries. They were first used in advertising in 1928, when a radio advertisement asking "Have Your Tried Wheaties?" hit the air, according to author Steven Karman in his book "Who Killed the Jingle?" Since then, jingles have been an important part of both advertising and popular culture, although the use of the jingle is currently in decline as more companies turn to popular songs to promote their products.


The biggest reason that jingles are used to promote products is that advertisers know jingles help people to remember the commercial. Research supports this assumption. A article in the 1991 "Advances in Consumer Research" notes that researchers consistently find music increases recall -- unless the music is itself difficult to remember. Simple tunes with simple words virtually guarantee that the consumer will remember the advertisement, sometimes for years.


A good ad campaign involves repetition so that the consumer will associate the product with the company. Jingles take repetition a step further. After hearing a jingle several times as part of a marketing campaign, consumers will often create their own repetition, humming the tune or singing the words in their head. Sometimes the mere sight of the product can trigger the words of the corresponding jingle. Jingles can take on a life of their own, showing up in popular media such as songs, movies and in online social networks. The result is additional product promotion at no cost to the company.


Jingles work. While ad companies are still testing the effects of many forms of advertising, history shows that commercials that incorporate jingles are often effective. For example, most people are familiar with phrases such as "I wish I were an Oscar Mayer wiener," "Be all that you can be in the Army" and "Double your pleasure, double your fun with Wrigley's Doublemint gum." Not only do people remember the jingles, but many are likely to choose the product advertised over competing products, according to researchers. After all, don't people prefer energy drinks that "give you wings?"


Branding is all about creating an image of your company and having that image stick in customer's minds. Jingles are an effective adjunct to visual advertising when it comes to creating a brand. People who are not able to connect a clever logo to your brand might remember a catchy tune quite well. Put the name of your company or product in the jingle, and your company will forever be associated with the accompanying words, as long as listeners are exposed to the jingle enough times.