Once in awhile we’ll hear this from a jingle client: “I want something upbeat, contemporary and fun. . . but not too “Jingle-ly”. Jingle-ly? What does that mean, exactly? Does it mean no bell-like sounds in the track? Do we direct our singers to remove all loose change from their pockets? Should we mute Santa and his sleigh? Turns out there is no definitive answer AND there can be a very fine line here. But here’s how we have come to define this issue. If a jingle is catchy, punchy, fun, and executed musically at a high level, it’s probably not too “Jingle-ly”. The reality is because jingles have a unique purpose…to really BRAND a client….they stand alone on the musical landscape. They can’t be compared to pop or folk songs, which aren’t boxed in by business slogans and targeted demographics. But they can be a VERY effective marketing weapon.
The best way to stay away from that Jingle-ly thing is to do a full sing 30 or 60 second jingle; one that has vocals throughout. That way we can get more into “song” mode and tell a story. It gives us a chance to flesh out and develop a theme. You know. . . like a hit song. . . which ironically, is what we had in the back in the day. Yup. We had a song on the radio and on the charts. Imagine that. So say it with us: Catchy. Punchy. Fun. Well executed. Like a Hit Song. Pretty simple. Really.