We’ve complained plenty about bad advertising here, and talked about commercials we love & hate. But what about jingles and slogans that are just really good and clever?
One topic that I think leads to clever jingles is when they re-word (cover?) an existing popular tune for a jingle.
Nair’s use of the 1957 song “Short Shorts” for their 70s jingle was spot on. (“If you dare wear short shorts/Nair for short shorts”)
Oreo’s use of “Mr. Big Stuff” for their Oreo Big Stuff commercial was a great use of the song right into the brand.
As for slogans, no matter what I feel about the jewelry industry, I think Kay Jewlers “Every kiss begins with Kay” is a brilliant slogan.
I also wanted to talk about really good brand names. Ones that really nailed the product description and is clever. But I can’t think of any now off the top of my head. I did think of one a bit ago so they do exist.
It seems you’re thinking of national brands. I actually remember best the car dealer ads for my local area.
Eg “Pearson Ford, we stand alone at Claremont and El Cajon” or “If you need a brand new Ford, go see Cal - Cal Worthington and his dog Spot.” I thought the Burmashave jingles were great too and I have them memorized.
Of current brands, the Apple ads are mainly what I’ve noticed but they surely aren’t known for good ads.
I don’t think these are good as overall brand slogans. Funny as campaign plots? Yes. But as overall brand slogans, they don’t convey anything about the brand. In fact, “Where’s the beef?” is a pretty poor slogan for a company that sells hamburgers.
The commercial first aired on January 10, 1984, with Peller’s now-iconic delivery: “Where’s the beef?” The campaign was an instant hit, boosting Wendy’s sales by 31% that year.
Look, I totally remember the ad campaign. I remember the slogan. I remember Wendy’s popularity. It’s a great ad campaign!
But this thread is not about clever ad campaigns, or commercials with funny plots. That would be a different thread. Like “Most memorable ad campaigns.” Which we’ve probably done many times.
This is about catchy tunes that really sell a brand/product, slogans that encapsulate a brand, and brand names that really hit the mark.
If you said “Wendy’s: Where’s the Beef?” to someone today with no knowledge of the commercial, it would be pretty poor out of context. Why would I want to buy a hamburger from a place asking me where’s the beef? I’m looking for timeless songs and slogans that give you a sense of the brand or product out of the box. Or advertising jingles that used existing songs in a clever way.
Perhaps the endless chanting/singing of Chile’s Baby-back ribs? I swear, people who never knew much about Chile’s before seemed to be enchanted by the damn song, even though they’re a very underwhelming representation of the art.
) I was 15 when I left San Diego, so I didn’t drive by it.