Top 5 Advertising Jingles of All Time! (VIDEOS)

A good advertising jingle has the power to spark nostalgic feelings and get stuck in your head for days. You might even have a playlist full of them. The top 5 advertising jingles of all time are:

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1. McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It”
2. Kit Kat® “Give Me a Break”
3. Oscar Mayer “I Wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Weiner”
4. Subway “Five Dollar Foot Long”
5. Empire “800 Number”

 There used to be a time when you’d turn on the TV and actually watch the commercials. If you’re a Baby Boomer, then you remember Wrigley Gum’s ditty, “Double Your Pleasure, Double Your Fun.” Kids from the 90s will never get the Wonderball song out of their heads. Even in the digital world, companies like Nationwide and Kay Jewelers are still finding their groove with advertising jingles.

What is the history of television jingles? Which ones are the most popular? Hum along and learn a little more about these classic advertising tunes! The jingles featured in the top 10 list all hit these notes and strike a chord with the audience. They have been on repeat for a long time, stick in your brain, and are completely original.

1) McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” (2003)If you’re a hip hop enthusiast, you’re probably familiar with Grammy nominated artist Pusha T. He’s worked with big names like Kanye West, Tyler, The Creator, and Drake. Before all this success, though, he was the man behind McDonald’s catchy ba-da-ba-ba-ba. Justin Timberlake came onboard to sing the refrain and the rest is history.
According to AdAge, McDonald’s spent $1.37 billion on advertising when “I’m Lovin’ It” debuted. They released five commercials featuring the jingle and translated them into 11 different languages. The first appearance was in Munich, Germany, sparking debate about whether or not agency Heye & Partner were really the ones who wrote the tune. Regardless of its true origins, this jingle is as juicy as a delicious Big Mac.

2) Kit Kat® “Give Me a Break” (1986)Kit Kat® gave us a sweet taste of quality jingle writing with the infectious, “Give Me A Break” in 1986. Ken Shuldman was a junior copywriter at DDB Needham when he wrote the nifty tune. He brought on a classic violinist named Michael A. Levine to compose, and people started breaking off pieces of this milk chocolate all over the country!
Kit Kat®’s trademark jingle got a modern update by Chicago native Chance the Rapper in 2016. In the ad, he’s dressed up as a giant teddy bear for Halloween and is shopping for the candy in a gas station. His thought at the end of the commercial: “That’s a good song.” The nation couldn’t agree more, with about 564 Kit Kat fingers consumed every second!

3) Oscar Mayer “I Wish I Was an Oscar Mayer Weiner” (1965)All it takes is being a weiner to ensure the love of those around you. At least, that’s the sentiment proposed by Oscar Mayer’s enormously popular jingle. The song was composed by Chicagoan Richard Trentlage in 1965. He loved jingle writing and even created one for a fictional company called Modern Plastic Brooms when he was in high school. This fake jingle was so memorable, his former classmates sang it during their 50th reunion. It’s no wonder he went on to create the beloved Oscar Mayer song!
The Oscar Mayer jingle has completely taken on a life of its own. In the years since it was released, it has been sung by a metal band, barbershop quartet, ukulele player, and even a singing parrot! You may even hear the song blasting from the Wienermobile as it cruises through your neighborhood.

4) Subway “Five Dollar Foot Long” (2008)While the beautiful days of $5 footlongs are gone, the spirit of the catchy jingle is still alive and well. Stuart Frankel dreamed up the campaign to bring more business to a Subway he acquired in Fort Lauderdale. The campaign was so successful, it soon became a national phenomenon. Ad agency MMB was brought on to write the jingle, and from there, this simple song and dance got stuck in people’s brains. The commercials are credited with making the subs one of the best-selling fast food items in the entire country.
Unfortunately, Subway’s eyes were bigger than their stomach, causing them to put the brakes on the $5 footlong campaign. That is until January 2018 when they outdid themselves with an even better deal: a $4.99 footlong. It doesn’t seem to have the same ring to it.

5) Empire “800 Number” (1977)Talk about marketing genius. Lynn Hauldren, the guy who became known as the Empire Carpet Man, turned the company’s contact info into a hit jingle. The number didn’t always feature the “800” at the beginning. This addition to the lyrics came in 1996 when the Chicagoland area started using more area codes. From that point on, you’d always know who to call for carpet installation.
The phone number wasn’t the only thing that changed over the years. The company is now called Empire Carpet Today, and Hauldren’s caricature has gotten a digital facelift. Still, though, they use the original jingle in their commercials because why fix something if it isn’t broken?

Alyssa Mertes, Promo ExpertPublished: May 3rd, 2019
www.qualitylogoproducts.com