Do you hear what I hear?

Ben Koorengevel/Unsplash

The Library of American Broadcasting at the University of Maryland has created a virtual exhibit that highlights the history of broadcast jingles. It’s called “The Lost Art of Jingle Writing.”

Jingles have their genesis in ads containing poetic verse that became popular in the late 19th century. The first radio jingle was used to sell Wheaties breakfast cereal in 1926. 

Today, jingles have morphed into sonic identities. The “Tu-DUM” sound that accompanies every piece of Netflix content is part of the brand’s sonic identity, as is the happy little 7-note ditty you hear when your Mastercard is accepted at the store. 

Brands now have anthems which are suites of music that can be used in different ways across various products and verticals.

It is notable that none of these jingles in the exhibit or the ones mentioned above are/were based on popular songs. They were custom made for the brands.  Research suggests that if you use a popular hit song in your advertising you will get people to pay attention, but not the right kind of attention. They’re likely thinking about their own memories of that song or their impressions of the artist playing it – not about your brand. 

If you’re interested in learning about the unconscious power of sonic branding in today’s marketing world, make sure your WARC membership is up to date and then check out Part 1 and Part 2 of a webinar that features academics and professionals in the field who discuss why sonic branding works and how sonic identities are created, along with numerous examples.