Yesterday on All Things Considered (NPR), they aired a segment about the 50 year anniversary of the Roto Rooter jingle. The jingle, which was written and performed by Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers can be found here. The timing (50 years) seems about right. Back then radio jingles were popular, and most popular brands had them. It seems like almost a lost art. These days, corporations and advertising agencies seem content to just pull some old Led Zepplin tune that hasn’t been sold out in a while. Oh… Where have all the Jingles gone?
I think it’s a bit fascinating really. I worked for a short stint doing audio post production, and we did more than a few commercials. But most of the music was library music, or knock-offs of popular tunes, and we rarely (I can’t remember ever) wrote product or service specific lyrics.
When you consider how some of these jingles stick in your head, though… the fact that they are often so memberable, it makes me wonder why this isn’t a lost art. The last time I decided to buy a new mattress, I didn’t need to do any research… I’ve had “1-800-M-A-T-T-R-E-S” and “Ohh… ahhh… Mattress Giant” running through my head for years now.
What do you think about the lost art of the jingle, and what are some of the jingles that you find very memberable.
