The sound of success: Why jingles still work in modern advertising

Jingles have been used in advertising for decades. We can all instantly recognise them – from McDonald’s “I’m loving It” to Intel’s iconic chimes.

We’ll look at what makes a good earworm, and discuss whether they’re still relevant in 2025. (TLDR: yes they are - with caveats!) 

A jingle is simply a short catchy piece of music (or a whole tune), used to make a brand or product memorable. But how do they work?

The science behind jingles

Your brain loves a good tune

Music really lights up the brain, triggering memory and emotion centres. That’s why jingles work—once they’re in, they’re in. A simple melody can haunt you (in a good way) for decades.

Repetition: The secret sauce

Ever noticed how the more you hear a song, the more you hum it? That’s science! Brands use this to make their jingles impossible to forget—like a catchy earworm you didn’t ask for but can’t shake. Repetitive melodies become ingrained in consumer memory.

Emotion: The shortcut to brand love

Music stirs up nostalgia, excitement, and trust faster than visuals alone. That’s also why big brands also spend hundreds of thousands licensing hit songs. Familiar sounds activate the brain’s reward system, making consumers feel good about a brand before they even process the message.

The power of a great jingle

Brand recognition that sticks

A jingle is a brand’s sonic signature—short, catchy, and instantly recognizable. Think McDonald’s “I’m Lovin’ It” or Intel’s iconic chimes. Even without an ad in sight, you hear the tune, and boom - the brand pops into your head.

Timeless marketing gold
Unlike ad campaigns that fade, a jingle lives forever. Coca-Cola’s “I’d Like to Teach the World to Sing” is over 50 years old and still iconic. A great jingle keeps working, building loyalty, and ensuring brands stay top of mind—without constantly reinventing the wheel.

How to make a jingle

I’ve been fortunate enough in my career to work with some great music and jingle composers, responsible for some of the catchiest jingles around on British TV, such as Moonpig and Go Compare. There’s no secret formula – but all good jingles share these common ingredients:

1 – A catchy melody

Simplicity is the key. A good jingle can be as simple as a few notes (looking at you Intel), or a sung phrase that is mirrored in the timing of the music. Anything too complex won’t have that needed memorability. It’s the same reason why nursery rhymes are timeless and have lasted for generations.

2 – Repetition

The importance of a good hook can’t be over-stated. Don’t just slap a jingle on the end of your ad. Make it a feature throughout, subtly using it in the background, or foreshadowing it in the ads soundtrack. Give it a reason to exist.

3 – Emotional connection

A jingle creates nostalgia and brand affinity. There are plenty of jingles firmly lodged in my brain still that I recall singing in the playground (Kia-Ora, Um Bongo, Green Giant, Vitalite… the list goes on). There is simply nothing like music to create an emotional connection. For best effect the jingle should be thoroughly integrated into the creative –a core part of the concept. This ensures maximum emotional impact.

4 - Consistency 

Once you have a winning formula – stick to it! Brands can stick with a sound in their ads for years, even decades. The style and tone of your jingle can adapt and reflect the times. It can be updated, modernised, and reinvented countless times (listen to how Gillette’s “A Best A Man Can Get” has changed over the years). If at its core it’s a good memorable catchy earworm – then use it, and make it work for you.

Jingles in the digital age

Are jingles still relevant in a world of short-form content? With the rise of TikTok, Insta Reels, and YouTube Shorts, attention spans are shorter than ever. Brands have mere seconds to capture interest, and sound is a crucial tool in making an impact. Jingles may have originated in the golden age of radio and TV, but their core purpose—creating instant brand recognition—remains essential. In fact, TikTok’s viral nature has revived the concept of branded audio snippets, proving that a catchy tune can spread like wildfire across platforms.

The rise of sonic branding beyond traditional jingles

While classic jingles still have their place, brands are increasingly using sonic logos—short, recognizable sounds that instantly signal their identity. Think of Netflix’s “ta-dum” or Apple’s startup chime. These modern sound bites work well in digital spaces where ads are skippable and attention spans are fleeting. Instead of relying on full-length jingles, brands are adapting their audio strategies to ensure they leave a mark within seconds.

One hurdle for jingles in the digital era is the rise of silent scrolling. Most social media videos are watched without sound. This means brands must balance strong visual storytelling with audio cues that are impactful even when played passively. Successful advertisers now pair jingles with captions, subtitles, and bold on-screen text to maintain engagement while keeping their audio branding intact. The key is ensuring that when users do turn up the volume, they hear something unmistakably tied to the brand.

The future of jingles in digital marketing

As AI-driven marketing and personalized ad experiences grow, jingles are evolving. Brands are beginning to explore adaptive audio—jingles that change slightly based on user interaction or preferences. Additionally, interactive ads on platforms like Spotify and YouTube allow brands to mix music and engagement, keeping audio relevant even in a fragmented media landscape.

So, there we have it. Should brands be investing in sonic identities? Absolutely!

Need a catchy earworm or sonic logo for your next video or TV advert? Get in touch with our production team to see what we could create for your brand!