Top 10 Brand Jingles That Didn't Have to Go THAT Hard

This jingle always hits, even though foot long sandwiches at Subway aren’t five dollars anymore. Those were the days. The “Five Dollar Footlong” commercial and promotion began in 2008 in order to boost the sales of their classic length sandwich. The marketing team liked the visual of using one hand to signify the price, and then both hands to represent the product. But of course, the song is what makes this advertisement so memorable! 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.

Did you know that this classic jingle was based on the old folk song “I’ve Been Working on the Railroad?” The song was written for Folgers in 1984 by Susan Spiegel Solovay and Bill Vernick with music by Leslie Pearl. This new jingle and slogan was used in place of a spokesperson for the company, which worked like a charm! In fact, in 2021 the lifetime rights to the tune sold for over ninety thousand dollars. The man who purchased them in an auction will forever earn royalties when the jingle is played. Sounds like a good investment if you ask us!

The State Farm insurance advertising team surely knows what they’re doing! Aside from their mega popular “Jake from State Farm” commercial campaign, the company’s tune is extremely likely to be stuck in your head. The news source Looper had even reported that 33% of Americans named it as the catchiest, most memorable jingle. And who’s responsible for cranking out this hit? None other than the “Copacabana” singer and songwriter Barry Manilow! Who knew he was a marketing wiz as well as a legendary performer? Maybe State Farm has him to thank for making them the biggest property and automobile insurer in the US!

What’s a better endorsement for cat food than a happy, singing cat? This Meow Mix jingle dropped in 1974, and has been a fan favorite ever since. After the commercial’s release, the brand was more easily recognized and eventually became one of the best selling cat food companies. But while audiences at home may think of it as a silly little ditty, the song actually served a darker purpose years later as a method of torture inflicted by the CIA. That’s not particularly fun enough to be a “fun fact,” but it’s definitely interesting.

Way to market a piece of gum – they really pulled out all the stops on this song! The Juicy Fruit jingle that claims “the taste is gonna move you” is really a whole musical number, and is a reminder of a much cooler time in commercial advertising. Even if its lyrics are a bit humorously suggestive. 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. While this may have been a good strategic move for the company, we’d pick the classic song any day!

We doubt any real chickens had ever signed off on the chicken dance. Ragú went way too hard on the song for their “Chicken Tonight” sauce line, which was a popular jingle despite the product being relatively less successful. The ad’s upbeat, pop melody is a total earworm that’ll have you picturing jarred sauces all night long. This tune had even been parodied several times by various series– such as the Australian comedy program “The Late Show, “The Simpsons,” and “America’s Funniest Home Videos.” Imitation is a compliment, after all!

Not only did the Toys “R” Us chain of stores bring kids everywhere joy, their music did too! It’s impossible not to smile when you hear this classic ‘80s jingle. This song was written in 1982 in part by none other than James Patterson. Yes, the bestselling author once worked in advertisement! He and Linda Kaplan Thaler wrote up the music and lyrics, and the rest was history. No matter what your age may be, you’ll always be a Toys “R” Us kid! Even if the company ultimately goes bankrupt. Sorry, that was too real.

Be honest, did this commercial make anyone wish they were a hot dog? Probably not, but regardless, the song certainly made a lasting impression! Even though the ad originally ran in the 1960s, the jingle stuck with consumers for years and years, becoming one of the most beloved of all time. The song’s writer, Richard Trentlage, actually whipped up the tune in only about an hour. Mind you, he wasn’t contacted to write for Oscar Mayer– he just thought it up and recorded it! He even had his kids perform it for the original recording– talk about authenticity!

This soda jingle actually ended up turning into a hit song! And no, it wasn’t actually thought up by “Mad Men’s” advertising genius Don Draper – despite what the series may imply. The idea was conceived by ad executive Bill Backer in an airport as he watched a group of people enjoying Cokes together. After the commercial’s popularity, the song was re-recorded minus all of the Coca-Cola related lyrics. The song came up at number 97 of the top 100 Billboard songs of 1972. For a jingle, that’s quite impressive!

This jingle is unforgettable! Unless you’re Andy Bernard. But if you’re anyone else, you’ll instantly recognize this advertising tune. According to one of the song’s writers, the jingle was designed to be a quick, “throwaway” piece. Little did they know, people would be singing it for years to come! It’s so catchy, that a study done by University of Cincinnati called it one of the top ten melodies bound to play over and over in your head. Plus, you can’t hear it without craving a Kit Kat bar! Now that’s a good advertisement, if you ask us.

Did we include your favorite jingle? Let us know which brand’s you love the most in the comments!