Who wouldn’t love to have a catchy little jingle for their small business?
Best Commercial Jingles
It seems the best commercial jingles are associated with some really successful companies, brands, and products. So you think, there’s no way I can get a jingle as effective as that!
Wrong. The trouble is, you’re probably overthinking it. The best commercial jingles — now and of all time — are so devastatingly simple.
Here is a look (and listen) at some of the best commercial jingles and the simple trait that bond them. Once you manage to get them out of your head, start writing your own.
Sing Your Company Name
There are three commercial jingles that do nothing more than sing the company name. Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be sung.
Double-A (Honk Honk) M-C-O (AAMCO)
You probably would be pressed to name another transmission specialist. They know. It’s because AAMCO made a name for itself with its elementary jingle. Even if it’s just a few seconds long, do you know anyone that doesn’t know it?
We Are Farmers — Bum-ba-dum bum-bum bum-bum (Farmers Insurance)
Farmers Insurance, if it’s even possible, gets even more simplistic. The catchiest part of its commercial jingle isn’t even words. And it’s sung a capello (without instruments) sparing the cost of even hiring a musician. It can’t get any easier, right?
The Regina Steemer Carpet Cleaner (Regina)
OK, maybe it does get easier. Start singing the name of your company or one of your products, especially if it has a few syllables. Rather than trying to write some ballad about dirty floors, the folks at The Regina Company took the easy way out and found a gem.
Sing About Your Phone Number
Just using the name of a product or brand may not be enough. Some companies have found great success by using another business card staple, their phone number.
In any audio or video ad, you should include your company’s phone number. You get the proverbial two birds with the one stone if you turn your phone number into a song. You may need to do just a little more to make it a full song, but not much. Look at these classic examples:
877-CASH-NOW (J.G. Wentworth)
If you have a structured settlement and you need cash now, is there a number you can call? How many times have you caught yourself singing this song to yourself for no apparent reason?
J.G. Wentworth simply sang the solution it provided and then its phone number. Granted, this version of the jingle has been refined but only because it’s been wildly successful from the beginning.
800-588-2300 Empire, Today (Empire Flooring)
Empire Flooring spared little expense on the jingle to accompany its animated commercials. Rather than sing about the services the company provides, it just talks about discounts and then sings the literal call to action.
Unlike a lot of businesses with easy-to-remember phone numbers, Empire’s number spells nothing about floors. But even if you don’t need new hardwood or laminate flooring, you probably know the number to call to get it.
877-Kars 4 Kids (Kars4Kids)
This non-profit has come under fire for some alleged violations but before that, it drew big donations because of its simple jingle with a unique (and perhaps a bit odd) presentation.
This is nothing more than a phone number, a simple beat, and one spoken line.
If those simple but successful jingles aren’t inspiration enough or they’re just not hitting the right note, there’s one more super easy source of inspiration. You can probably find that on your business card, too.
Sing Your Tagline
There have been a lot of companies that’ve made millions off their simple taglines. Of course, the trick to a great tagline for your company isn’t singing it but writing one in the first place. But when you do, you could have a potential marketing gold mine on your hands.
Check out some of these classic examples of a tagline set to music:
The Best Part of Waking Up … (Folgers)
This is one of the most recognizable jingles of all time. Folgers may have added to the song over time to fit different campaigns but every commercial ends the same.
Nationwide Is On Your Side (Nationwide Insurance)
Your small business can’t afford the likes of Peyton Manning but Nationwide didn’t need the quarterback to come up with its jingle. It even made the tune a speech pattern of its own. It’s the iambic pentameter of jingles.
You’ll-like-ly-sing-it-once-to-day.
What Would You Do … ? (Klondike Bar)
The people behind the Klondike Bar ice cream sandwich just asked a simple question — but in song — and they came up with a jingle that’s about as popular as ice cream itself.
To be fair, these super simple jingles are all attached to big companies. It stands to reason these jingles are the products of a marketing department bigger than your company.
So, for one final example, here’s one small business that uses a simple jingle style. And they’re playing the song all the way to the bank.
For the Best Night’s Sleep In the Whole Wide World … (My Pillow)
You know almost every fact about the company and the patented fill in My Pillow. You know where it’s made, whether or not you can wash and dry it and how it allegedly aligns to your neck.
OK, it helps that the commercials play every 20 minutes, but you can only do that if you’ve got a great marketing campaign that generates big sales.
That’s all it takes. A business name, a phone number, and a tagline. Marry one of those with a catchy little tune and you’re on your way to a commercial jingle masterpiece.
It’s so easy!
Image: J.G. Wentworth