These brand jingles didn't have to go THAT hard. Welcome to MsMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the songs from commercials that live rent free in our brains.
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00:00 "Tricolor!"
00:02 Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the songs from commercials that live rent-free in our brains.
00:09 "Grow apple trees and honeybees."
00:13 Number 10 - Subway
00:16 This jingle always hits, even though footlong sandwiches at Subway aren't $5 anymore.
00:22 "$5 footlong!"
00:25 Those were the days.
00:26 The $5 footlong commercial and promotion began in 2008 to boost the sales of their classic length sandwich.
00:33 The marketing team liked the visual of using one hand to signify the price, and then both hands to represent the product.
00:38 "$5 footlong!"
00:41 But of course, the song is what makes this advertisement so memorable.
00:45 Subway wanted to repeat the deal as many times as possible in the amount of time they had on air, and thus, the jingle was born.
00:52 "You can't go wrong."
00:55 Number 9 - Folgers Coffee
00:57 Did you know that this classic jingle was based on the old folk song "I've Been Working on the Railroad"?
01:01 "When your romance caught you."
01:04 The song was written for Folgers in 1984 by Susan Spiegel Solovey and Bill Vernick, with music by Leslie Pearl.
01:10 This new jingle and slogan was used in place of a spokesperson for the company, which worked like a charm.
01:16 "Your best morning friend."
01:18 In fact, in 2021, the lifetime rights to the tune sold for over $90,000.
01:24 The man who purchased them in an auction will forever earn royalties when the jingle is played.
01:29 Sounds like a good investment if you ask us.
01:31 "The best part of working up is Folgers in your cup."
01:36 Number 8 - State Farm
01:38 The State Farm insurance advertising team surely knows what they're doing.
01:41 "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there."
01:46 "Hey Dave."
01:47 Aside from their mega popular "Jake from State Farm" commercial campaign, the company's tune is extremely likely to be stuck in your head.
01:54 "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there."
01:57 "With a sandwich."
01:58 "Oh yeah."
01:59 The news source Looper had even reported that 33% of Americans named it as the catchiest, most memorable jingle.
02:06 And who's responsible for cranking out this hit?
02:08 None other than the Copacabana singer and songwriter Barry Manilow.
02:11 Who knew he was a marketing whiz as well as a legendary performer?
02:15 Maybe State Farm has to thank him for making them the biggest property and automobile insurer in the US.
02:20 "Find out what else State Farm agents can do for you."
02:22 Number 7 - Meow Mix
02:24 "Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow."
02:27 How are we not talking about JC Chazze here?
02:29 "Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow."
02:36 What's a better endorsement for cat food than a happy singing cat?
02:39 This Meow Mix jingle dropped in 1974 and has been a fan favorite ever since.
02:44 After the commercial's release, the brand was more easily recognized and eventually became one of the best-selling cat food companies.
02:51 "Meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow, meow."
02:53 But while audiences at home may think of it as a silly little ditty,
02:57 the song actually served a darker purpose years later as a method of torture inflicted by the CIA.
03:02 That's not particularly fun enough to be a fun fact, but it's definitely interesting.
03:07 "Tastes so good, cats ask for it by name."
03:09 "Meow."
03:10 Number 6 - Juicy Fruit
03:12 Way to market a piece of gum.
03:14 They really pulled out all the stops on this song.
03:17 "Get your seat shined up, grab a stick of juicy fruit."
03:21 The Juicy Fruit jingle that claims "the taste is gonna move you" is really a whole musical number
03:26 and is a reminder of a much cooler time in commercial advertising,
03:29 even if its lyrics are a bit humorously suggestive.
03:33 "The taste is gonna move you when you pop it in your mouth."
03:37 In 2019, the brand released a poll asking folks to choose a new jingle between a variety of different genres in order to modernize the advertisement.
03:45 While this may have been a good strategic move for the company, we'd pick the classic song any day.
03:50 "Juicy fruit, the taste, the taste, the taste is gonna move ya."
03:54 Number 5 - Ragu Chicken Tonight
03:57 We doubt any real chickens had ever signed off on the chicken dance.
04:00 "I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight."
04:04 Ragu went way too hard on the song for their Chicken Tonight sauce line,
04:08 which was a popular jingle despite the product being relatively less successful.
04:12 The ad's upbeat pop melody is a total earworm that'll have you picturing jarred sauces all night long.
04:17 "I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight."
04:22 This tune had even been parodied several times by various series,
04:25 such as the Australian comedy program The Late Show, The Simpsons and America's Funniest Home Videos.
04:31 Imitation is a compliment after all.
04:33 "Doesn't this family know any songs that aren't commercials?"
04:36 "I feel like chicken tonight, like chicken tonight."
04:43 Number 4 - Toys R Us
04:45 "I don't wanna grow up on a toys r us kid,
04:48 the guy with a million toys is Toys R Us that I can play with."
04:51 Not only did the Toys R Us chain of stores bring kids everywhere joy, their music did too.
04:56 It's impossible not to smile when you hear this classic 80's jingle.
05:00 "From bikes to trains to video games, it's the biggest toy store there is."
05:06 This song was written in 1982 in part by none other than James Patterson.
05:10 Yes, the best-selling author once worked in advertisement.
05:13 He and Linda Kaplan Thaler wrote up the music and lyrics and the rest was history.
05:18 No matter what your age may be, you'll always be a Toys R Us kid,
05:21 even if the company ultimately goes bankrupt.
05:24 Sorry, that was too real.
05:25 "I wanna be a Toys R Us kid."
05:28 Number 3 - Oscar Mayer Wieners
05:30 Be honest, did this commercial make anyone wish they were a hot dog?
05:33 "Oh, I'd love to be an Oscar Mayer Wiener, that is what I truly like to be."
05:41 Probably not, but regardless, the song certainly made a lasting impression.
05:44 Even though the ad originally ran in the 1960s, the jingle stuck with consumers for years and years,
05:50 becoming one of the most beloved of all time.
05:53 "I guess I will run as a Mayer Wiener."
05:56 The song's writer, Richard Trentledge, actually whipped up the tune in only about an hour.
06:00 Mind you, he wasn't contacted to write for Oscar Mayer, he just thought it up and recorded it.
06:05 He even had his kids perform it for the original recording.
06:08 Talk about authenticity.
06:09 "Everyone would be in love with me."
06:13 Number 2 - Coca-Cola
06:14 "I'd like to buy the world a home and furnish it with love."
06:21 This soda jingle actually ended up turning into a hit song.
06:25 And no, it wasn't actually thought up by Mad Men's advertising genius Don Draper,
06:30 despite what the series may imply.
06:32 The idea was conceived by ad executive Bill Backer in an airport
06:35 as he watched a group of people enjoying Cokes together.
06:38 "I'd like to buy the world a Coke and keep it company."
06:44 After the commercial's popularity, the song was re-recorded minus all of the Coca-Cola-related lyrics.
06:50 The song came up at number 97 of the Top 100 Billboard Songs of 1972.
06:55 For a jingle, that is quite impressive.
06:58 "It's the real thing, what the world wants today. It's the real thing."
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07:23 Number 1 - Kit Kat
07:25 This jingle is unforgettable, unless you're Andy Bernard.
07:29 "Break me off a piece of that fancy feast."
07:32 But if you're anyone else, you will instantly recognize this advertising tune.
07:35 "Give me a break, give me a break."
07:38 According to one of the song's writers, the jingle was designed to be a quick throwaway piece.
07:43 Little did they know, people would be singing it for years to come.
07:46 It's so catchy that a study done by the University of Cincinnati
07:50 called it one of the top 10 melodies bound to play over and over in your head.
07:54 Plus, you can't hear it without craving a Kit Kat bar.
07:57 Now that is a good advertisement if you ask us.
07:59 "Break me off a piece of that Kit Kat bar."
08:03 Did we include your favorite jingle?
08:05 Let us know which brands you love the most in the comments.
08:08 "It's a cat food, nailed it."
08:11 Do you agree with our picks?
08:12 Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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08:19 [music]