Wednesday 25 May 2016

Jingle Jangle

A recent article in our local newspaper noted that Bill Backer, the author of the 1971 Coca-Cola jingle "I'd Like to Buy the World a Coke" died earlier this month.  The groundbreaking "Hilltop" commercial was one of the first jingles that I remember seeing on TV and it certainly influenced my liking for the soft drink.

Nowadays I don't pay commercials much attention because I find them more of an annoyance.  Often they're bland or even stupid.  Not to mention they appear in greater numbers and frequency than they once did.  A show in an hour-long slot used to be timed at 49 to 52 minutes minus the commercials.  Now most shows clock in at 42 to 45 minutes.

Back in the 1970s and 1980s, there were so many jingles that stuck in my mind because they were catchy or just plain brilliant.  Here are a few of my favourites.

6. The World Looks Mighty Good to Me (1977)

I am not a fan of the Tootsie Roll candy but this ad produced by Teletactics of New York City struck me as being cute and highly effective.

5. Fairground I'm So Excited (1991)

Several adverts for the Cadbury Crunchie candy bar were created by Aardman Animations, the wizards behind Wallace and Gromit.  This particular one was aired in the UK but there were at least two aired in North America.  Oddly, while the commercial didn't get me to like the candy bar, it put the Pointer Sisters among my favourite singers.

4. They're Playing My Song (1982)

This commercial actually helped inspire my love of baking.  The actor playing Robin Hood wasn't hard on the eyes either.  To this day I prefer to use Robin Hood flour when I can.

3. A New Toy Every Day (1982)

Most people I know played with this as a kid, or know the pain of stepping barefooted on a brick.

2. Tweet Tweet Twiddle Twiddle (1983)

There were two versions of the Nabisco Brands commercial for this popular candy but I preferred the first one.

1. I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing (1971)

I enjoyed both the "Hilltop" version and the one where the chorus held candles in the shape of a Christmas tree.  The ad was considered one of the most expensive of its time to produce, but it paid off in a big way. As a teenager I taught myself how to play it on the piano.


1 comment:

  1. Great job on this, Audrey! I'm featuring it on my FB author page and sharing widely!

    ReplyDelete