"The snack that smiles back... goldfish!"

April 18, 2002 8:34 AM

"The snack that smiles back... goldfish!" I know... and it's not even Friday. But you know what? This ad campaign just makes me smile... and even though I mute all the other commercials, I turn up the volume for these absolutely ingenious jingles... la la la "until you bite their heads off"... la mmm mmm... Now that the song is stuck in your head, what's your favorite jingle?
posted by silusGROK (128 comments total)

burma shave.
posted by clavdivs at 8:43 AM on April 18, 2002

zoom zoom zoom.....zoom zoom zoom.... yah zoom zoom zoom zoom....zoom zoom zoom zoom
posted by remlapm at 8:44 AM on April 18, 2002

got to admit it's getting better, getting better all the time... Really. I like that one. (I hate the zoom zoom one and I've never heard the goldfish one)
posted by jojo at 8:48 AM on April 18, 2002

I enjoy the mystical choir of blue-haired, orange-faced, plastic-necktie-wearing salarymen boogieing along to the endless chant of "SamsungSamsungSamsung!" as they trudge along deathward, hoping only to quell the rising tide of madness, unsure if the voices emanate from other lungs, or from the charnel houses of their souls.

Oh and that "I wonder who that guy is!" bozo from the AOL commericals doesn't seem like a very bright bulb.
posted by Kafkaesque at 8:48 AM on April 18, 2002

This won't win any points for inclusiveness, but I feel that regional jingles are the best, especially ones that get permanently implanted into our brains by years of repetition, and stay there long after they are in no way relevant to your current life.

With that said, I'd like to play "find the Oklahomans" - the winners will be able to add lines to this holiday classic without even thinking about it:

ding ding ding ding, ding ding ding ding ...

"Jewelry is the gift to give,
'Cause it's the gift that'll live and live!
So give the gift you know can't fail!
From __________________________"
posted by yhbc at 8:52 AM on April 18, 2002

it's still got to be the shake-and-vac song.
posted by Spoon at 8:53 AM on April 18, 2002

"5-8-8-2-3-0-0 __________"
posted by byort at 8:54 AM on April 18, 2002

Five eight eight, two three hundred -- Empire!

Anyone from Chicago or thereabouts would be chiming in after the 588, trust me.
posted by me3dia at 8:55 AM on April 18, 2002

Damn, byort, you beat me!
posted by me3dia at 8:56 AM on April 18, 2002

"Empiiiire...."

Wow- I haven't heard that in years.

Are they still doing those?
posted by ice_cream_motor at 8:56 AM on April 18, 2002

got to admit it's getting better, getting better all the time...

My kid-sister (who's not that much of a kid--she's 25) didn't realize that was a Beatles song. [sniff] What's the world coming too?
posted by jpoulos at 8:57 AM on April 18, 2002

Oh, and I can tell you my least favorite (probably regional) jingle:

Boston-area MeFites stop reading here, or you'll be stuck with it all day.

"Who do you call when your windshield's busted?
Call...Giant....Glass."
posted by jpoulos at 8:59 AM on April 18, 2002

My wife and I LOVE the goldfish jingle - I've been trying to find it online, but to no avail. I'd have to say one of the most catchy has to be the Monday Night Football jingle. My all time favorite (which I can't find any reference to anywhere) is "Small Stuff Space World" from back when I was a kid watching saturday morning cartoons (c. 1980ish). Anyone remember that one? It went something like this:

Small Stuff, Space World
It's a space ship, and a whole lot more
(Something Something Something) when you open up the door
...
I can't recall the lyrics, but the jingle is clear in my head.
posted by stormy at 9:01 AM on April 18, 2002

"It's Circus Fun right in your bowl
and you're gonna want to come flyin'
for Horses, Hoops, Balls, Bears, Elephants and Lions!"

I can't remember my own father's birthday, but that cereal jingle will be swimming around my head until the day I die.
posted by Samsonov14 at 9:01 AM on April 18, 2002

I feel that regional jingles are the best ... stay there long after they are in no way relevant to your current life

anyone that lives around portland knows the torment of this from one company: The Shane Company
to this day i can still recite their address of their old building, and their new building.
posted by chrisroberts at 9:03 AM on April 18, 2002

Ahhh- for Bostonians, how about any of the big furniture chains?.
"Quality, Comfort and Price... That's Nice!" [groan] - I'm never going to these stores!
posted by stormy at 9:03 AM on April 18, 2002

The Giant Glass jingle can be heard here. Don't say I didn't warn you.
posted by jpoulos at 9:04 AM on April 18, 2002

This'n', from Atlanta, which I just found is on the IBA's Best of the Millennium list:

Talkin' 'bout Longhorn, and their pan-fried steaks,
Come on in and get one, no matter what it takes,
They got big bowls of peanuts, texas taters, and ice-cold brew,
And some animal heads on the wall, staring back at you...
posted by MrMoonPie at 9:04 AM on April 18, 2002

Can't...resist....

Dublin Berkeley San Lorenzo Cupertino San Jose

or, god forbid:

Pete Ellis Dodge
Ten Ninety Five
West El Camino Real
Sunny-vale!

.......

I wonder who that guy is?
posted by Kafkaesque at 9:06 AM on April 18, 2002

The one I can't get away from is the "748-1414" jingle for the Dallas Times-Herald classifieds. When the paper folded, one of the local stations rerecorded it as a mournful dirge.
posted by rcade at 9:09 AM on April 18, 2002

OK ,going back aways for this one, but it popped right into my head as I read this post and now I've got to let it out:

It's yum-yum fun
that is cool and keen
and it's name is
the Snoopy Sno-Cone Machine.....
posted by jonmc at 9:12 AM on April 18, 2002

for the midwesterners... save big money at Menaaards! ugh.
posted by jojo at 9:13 AM on April 18, 2002

Clevelanders are forever cursed with:

Garfield one, two-three, two-three
Garfield one...two-three, two-three!
posted by turaho at 9:14 AM on April 18, 2002

(I thought that philips ad was by gomez and not the beatles. Although I should have known. Oh well, what is the world coming to?)
posted by jojo at 9:15 AM on April 18, 2002

JOJO! That's not a jingle, it's a Beatles song!
posted by glenwood at 9:16 AM on April 18, 2002

*shrinks away in embarrassment* (my parents threw out all their beatles tapes when I was 4-- don't ask me why)
posted by jojo at 9:18 AM on April 18, 2002

Talkin bout my Ken-L-Ration!
posted by Kafkaesque at 9:19 AM on April 18, 2002

What is that line in the Tyson Chicken jingle that comes at the end of their commercial..."We la la la...la la" ? At first, I thought it was, "we love to see you smile (or sing)" but on closer listening, that's not it. WTF is it?
posted by gnz2001 at 9:21 AM on April 18, 2002

"Oooh ah! Oooh ah!
Only at Mattress Giant.
Oooh ah!"

He's my favorite giant, and not just 'cause he makes the ladies swoon. It's that "ooh ah feel." Listen.
posted by sj at 9:23 AM on April 18, 2002

you can't click on am radio in boston without hearing...

1-800-54-giant. done right done fast.
posted by jerseygirl at 9:32 AM on April 18, 2002

"Up late? Thanks for staying up with me. Have some TLC, thats right Terry Lee Chevolet..."

This would come on radio in Cincinnati at 1:45AM, 2:15AM, 2:32AM, and from 2:45AM to 3:45AM every 15 minutes. How do I know? Well in school I would usually have to stay up late every night to get everything done. Loveline [I know] was the usual choice for the studio boombox. That ass would come on and everyone would groan. The thing that really got us was the line, Thanks for staying up with me, like that a$$ was up at 3AM with us
posted by plemeljr at 9:37 AM on April 18, 2002

Oh yeah, and when I was working in SF, I would take the California Street Cable Car to work [easier and more fun then MUNI buses] and invariably I would get the Brakeman that would sing:

zoom zoom zoom.....zoom zoom zoom.... yah zoom zoom zoom zoom....zoom zoom zoom zoom
posted by plemeljr at 9:38 AM on April 18, 2002

plemeljr-on MetroNorth here in CT-NY we have a conductor who plays his harmonica into the mike at every stop. Nice touch, that.
posted by jonmc at 9:46 AM on April 18, 2002

my personal favourite is the villa allegre theme, if only because throwing muses ended up using the chords to write an even better song.
posted by pxe2000 at 9:53 AM on April 18, 2002

How about the Gardner White jingle for Detroit area folks? I've been gone for three years and I can still hear it:

Gardner White Furniture
We're known by the money you keep!

And, of course, back in the day, they had that woman who would randomly throw her arms up in the air during the commercials.
posted by eilatan at 9:56 AM on April 18, 2002

"It walks down stairs,
Alone or in pairs,
And makes a slinkety sound."
posted by shagoth at 9:58 AM on April 18, 2002

"...A spring! A spring!,
a marvelous thing.
Everyone knows it's Slinky!

It's Slinky! It's Slinky!
For fun it's a wonderful toy...
It's fun for a girl and a boy,
It's fun for a girl and a boy.
posted by gloege at 10:26 AM on April 18, 2002

Thanks, rcade, for the reminder of newspaper classifieds. The Indianapolis Star's classified number is 444-4444, and they've got some great radio jingles for it:

"Four four four forty-four forty-four
It even works if you dial it backwards"

and

"Four four four forty-four forty-four
Just push four until someone answers"

Are just two among several they have going.
posted by DevilsAdvocate at 10:27 AM on April 18, 2002

Ahhhh! The slinky song. What a wonderful song for such an pretty lame toy. But everyone has/had one. The power of a good jingle.
posted by amphigory at 10:32 AM on April 18, 2002

"Smile you've got Friches [sp?]
Smile you've got Friches [sp?]"
I don't even know what it is selling, but it is in my head right now.
Help
posted by plemeljr at 10:35 AM on April 18, 2002

I cannot believe no one posted this yet:

"I'd like to teach the world to sing
In perfect harmony.
I'd like to buy the world a coke
And keep it company...."
posted by gloege at 10:43 AM on April 18, 2002

Remember the ad for "Log" on Ren & Stimpy? That was funny.
posted by elvissinatra at 10:47 AM on April 18, 2002

Insanely catchy, and it wasn't even genuine:

What rolls down the stair alone or in pairs
rolls over your neighbor's dog?
What's great for a snack and fits on your back?
It's Log, Log, Log!

It's Log, Log, it's big, it's heavy, it's wood.
It's Log, Log, it's better than bad, it's good!
Everyone wants a log! You're gonna love it, Log!
Come on and get your log! Everyone needs a Log!
posted by Skot at 10:47 AM on April 18, 2002

posted by elvissinatra at 10:47 AM PST on April 18
posted by Skot at 10:47 AM PST on April 18

Good gravy. How's about that timing?
posted by Skot at 10:49 AM on April 18, 2002

Jinx!
posted by elvissinatra at 10:50 AM on April 18, 2002

Here's one for west coasters...

Here's Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!
posted by Watsonne at 10:52 AM on April 18, 2002

Ok, fine, I'll delurk. Anybody from Austin remember 459-2222?
posted by cdavis at 11:00 AM on April 18, 2002

PlemelJR... It's "smile, you've got French's" (mustard).
posted by silusGROK at 11:01 AM on April 18, 2002

OHHH...ok, thanks Vis10n.

Now when I'm continously humming/singing it I can now associate the jingle with the product. GREAT!
Actually, it was bothering me a little bit what the hell I was humming, thanks.
posted by plemeljr at 11:04 AM on April 18, 2002

Here's Cal Worthington and his dog Spot!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

My entire childhood has just come flooding back in a wave of dalmation-owning car salesman pain.
posted by RJ Reynolds at 11:07 AM on April 18, 2002

North Texans may recognize this:

I got a ranch in downtown Dallas
I buy diamonds by the ton
chase cuties in my Cadillac
and drill oil wells just for fun...
...but when it comes to boots
I need a deal that'll fit me right from toe to heel
so I get my boots at
Western Warehouse

Whee!
posted by andnbsp at 11:11 AM on April 18, 2002

Sniff. I throw out a request, and now there's people all over the country doing their favorite local jingles. There's even Mefi users popping up to make their second comment in TWO YEARS to chime in, and no one here has ever gone through Oklahoma in the past thiry years to hear the B.C. Clark jingle. "aa-t OK-la-homa's oldest jeweler - since 1892..."

Oh well, I have my memories. And they play over and over and over ...
posted by yhbc at 11:27 AM on April 18, 2002

3741111
posted by lotsofno at 11:27 AM on April 18, 2002

I was going to chime in about the BC Clark jingle, but you had to post the punchline before I got here.
posted by norm at 11:31 AM on April 18, 2002

If you've got a passion for fashion...
if you've got a craving for savings...
take the wheel
of your automobile
and swing on down to...
IDEAL!

This isn't a jingle, but does anybody from in or around Philadelphia remember Katz Brothers commercials? They always came on late night TV and involved scantily clad women and a seedy looking little man.

The one I remember most had the seedy man in standing in the middle of the scantily clad women. He shouts, "If you don't shop at Katz Brothers, you should be belted!" Then all the scantily clad women start whipping him with belts. Fucking bizarre.
posted by jennyb at 11:35 AM on April 18, 2002

Upon reflection, it might have been Kratz Brothers.
posted by jennyb at 11:36 AM on April 18, 2002

The absolute back tar heroin of jingles is the masterful, two note, By Mennen.

Some of you with whom I swapped CDs will spot it's influence in my own jingle.
posted by dong_resin at 11:38 AM on April 18, 2002

I can't believe I'm delurking to post my first post for this thread, but here goes.

Anyone in the Toronto area will no doubt remember (and likely curse) the ads for Bad Boy Furniture:

"Nobody beats our prices...........NOBODY!"

It's my least favourite jingle ever, but definitely the most memorable one.
posted by Cyrie at 11:38 AM on April 18, 2002

damn, norm - my impatience got the better of me! I knew there had to be at least one out there.
posted by yhbc at 11:39 AM on April 18, 2002

Ahem. Black tar heroin.
I don't know what back tar heroin will do for you.
posted by dong_resin at 11:42 AM on April 18, 2002

Obviously, it'll put "hair on" your back.
posted by yhbc at 11:44 AM on April 18, 2002

Yeesh.
Makes me think of George Wendt naked for some reason.
posted by dong_resin at 11:47 AM on April 18, 2002

Major points to you Jenny, for the Ideal jingle... and yes - it was Kratz Brothers. The lil' feller croaked out, I think, in the mid-nineties.

I'll add to the list;

"Come to happy auto parts,
where saving money starts,
at Jimmy's Used Auto Parts! (glissando)"

and, the strangely disturbing,
"We're Sen-sa-tive.... at Royal Aou-to...."
posted by Perigee at 12:01 PM on April 18, 2002

"We're goin' to the fair... the Alachua County Fair. The fair!" (repeated for thirty seconds.) Man I wish you could here how awful this jingle is.
posted by bunktone at 12:04 PM on April 18, 2002

Eagle Man commercials are gold.

"I've got something for youuuuuuuu....!"
posted by dcgartn at 12:06 PM on April 18, 2002

"mikey's the man who's gonna save you lots of money, at regency windows" Mikey uses the same model to portray a housewife, telephone operator, and super model all in the same commercial. props to cleveland
posted by sadie01221975 at 12:35 PM on April 18, 2002

By(1) men(2)-nen(3) :-)
posted by jpoulos at 12:38 PM on April 18, 2002

Save big money at Menarrrrrrrds!
posted by elvissinatra at 12:39 PM on April 18, 2002

"I'd like to buy the world a Coke, and keep it company"

Here's a link (I'm a drip and don't know how to actually hyperlink it) about the history of one of the most insidious and popular campaigns ever:

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ccmphtml/colaadv.html

I'll never get that bastard out of my head, and I was only two when it was first aired. They must have run that spot for YEARS!
posted by readymade at 12:43 PM on April 18, 2002

Jennyb, it was Krass Brothers. Haven't seen one in years.
posted by iconomy at 12:48 PM on April 18, 2002

(Update - Krass Brothers!)
posted by Perigee at 12:49 PM on April 18, 2002

With Link, yet...
posted by Perigee at 12:50 PM on April 18, 2002

lotsofno......I think you're thinking 347-1111 for LaRosa's (you want it bad!)....that jingle has been branded into my brain for eternity

fyi, LaRosa's is the Cincinnati chain that's got a chokehold on the delivery pizza market here...
posted by dicaxpuella at 12:50 PM on April 18, 2002

Yowch - Hats off to you, iconomy! Yer a fast 'un on the draw..
posted by Perigee at 12:53 PM on April 18, 2002

Heh - we both googled the name and used the same link, Perigree. I could never forget the name Krass, it was so appropriate, considering the ads. They were so bad that they were good.
posted by iconomy at 1:00 PM on April 18, 2002

My kid-sister (who's not that much of a kid--she's 25) didn't realize that was a Beatles song.

I didn't either, but then, I don't really care for the Beatles.

There were some great local ads when I was growing up in Columbus, Ohio. Waterbeds N Stuff sold waterbeds and, well, stuff. What kind of stuff? Well, once they were busted for selling nitrous oxide -- scroll down -- and I believe they sold or sell bongs, black light posters, lava lamps, and the like. It was basically a head shop and waterbed store in one, you could buy practically everything you needed for your hippie bachelor pad there. And every Christmas they would have radio ads with a jingle: "How much stuff can a stocking stuffer stuff when the stuff comes from Waterbeds N Stuff." I never went to one of their stores but I still know the jingle.
posted by kindall at 1:04 PM on April 18, 2002

The 'halloween themepark' that visits the Boston area yearly. End of September through the end of October, you probably hear this radio spot more than the Giant Glass one.

The radio jingle: "America's horror themepark: SPOO-KY World!"
posted by jerseygirl at 1:17 PM on April 18, 2002

"I'd like to buy the world a Coke, and keep it company"

I can't hear (or imagine) the first few notes of that without thinking of the parody:

I'd like to buy the world a Coke, and slip in a drug or two
Then pull its pants down to its knees and paint its butt bright blue.
I'd tie it up with bonds and straps and check its purse for change
Then leave it out at Moose Grin Hall with my cousin who's deranged.

-- National Lampoon sometime in the 70's

I can't remember my own phone number, but that thing sticks with me for 30 years.
posted by joaquim at 1:20 PM on April 18, 2002

A Salt Lake furniture store has co-opted (corrupted?) the Stray Cat Strut, and you can see/hear the video of the annoying guy singing it on their site, if you wait for the bottom portion of the page to load.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 1:23 PM on April 18, 2002

Two words: TOM CARVEL! :D

"And just remembah -- Wednesday is Sundae at Carvel's..."
posted by metrocake at 1:34 PM on April 18, 2002

No one else likes "Oh, I wish I were an Oscar Mayer Weiner?" Or "My baloney has a first name, it's O-S-C-A-R?"

This may have been local to Chicago, but about 15 years ago or so, there was a teen chat line called "Connections," and I used to hear their ad all the time on the radio. I remember part of it: "Pick up the phone, and call Connections! 1-900-202-0202!"

No, I never called that number. : )
posted by SisterHavana at 1:39 PM on April 18, 2002

Two words: TOM CARVEL!

Ahhhh! Cookiepuss! *twitch*

Perigree, iconomy, thank you! The Krass bro. is just as creepy as I remember.
posted by jennyb at 1:41 PM on April 18, 2002

In Louisville: 3-6-3-4-3-Oh-Oh, Budget, that's our number!
posted by stopgap at 1:44 PM on April 18, 2002

So give the gift you know can't fail..

DAMN YOU! Why did you have to get that in my head???
I don't know what it is about that song.. but it gets stuck HARD.

If only there were some way to combine that song and the Credit Jewelry cowboy.. it would be advertising perfection.
posted by jheiz at 1:54 PM on April 18, 2002

I was obsessed with a jingle from a recent Subway ad featuring a stalwart, handsome fireman:

"Meet Henry...Clay Henry,
He got real big on burgers and fries,
Now he's down to a smaller size..."

How bout this oldie:

"Two all-beef patties,
special sauce, lettuce, cheese,
pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun..."

That recepie will never leave me.

Also in the three-note category: the old NBC three tone identifier: G-E-C

Worst jingle/song ever: Motorola's stupid uber-hipster "Hello Moto". Ick.
posted by evanizer at 1:56 PM on April 18, 2002

jpoulos mentioned Giant Glass. Bostonians also cringe at any mention of Bernie & Phyl ("quality and comfort and price. That's nice!") and Wachusett Mountain ("WAAAAAAAH-Wah-chuset" sung by a bunch of Up with People clones in white snowsuits). Like Giant Glass, they really only work their magic after you've heard them four times every day for six months. And people wonder why we're such cranky drivers.

True gluttons for punishment will follow the Giant Glass link and watch the commercial. The tubby construction worker in particular drives people insane for some reason
posted by agaffin at 1:59 PM on April 18, 2002

I don't really have an opinion on it, but if I recall, the Intel jingle (those five notes that mean intel inside) is one of the most recognized sounds in the world. It's been a hugely successful branding campaign.
posted by stormy at 2:04 PM on April 18, 2002

Two more from Portland:

-If you don't come see me today, I can't save you any money. (Scott Thomason, who was already discussed recently)

-THAT'S Tom Petersen's! (Tom Petersen, of course! If you bought a TV from him he would give you a tom petersen haircut for free, inspiration for the morning dj song, "I woke up with a Tom Petersen haircut". To give you an idea of what said haircut looks like, here's a line from the song: "I woke up with a Tom Petersen haircut, 747's gonna land on meee/I woke up with a Tom Petersen haircut, I'm not a man, I'm a putting green..")

And yes, that stupid Shane Company commercial is trapped in my head too. but they changed the description of the location, apparently 'across the freeway' wasn't accurate enough. (:

PS-That commercial for some SUV with the kid in the backseat singing about his big bad dad? I love that, it was stuck in my head for about a week once. "He's big, he's bad, he's m'big bad dad!"

PPS-If you have these, you know of what I speak:
United (Buy and Sell) Furniture Warehouse duhDUH DUH!
yeah.
posted by verso at 2:05 PM on April 18, 2002

As far as bad and painfully memorable, the Dry Clean Depot song in the DC area drives musicians in particular to homicidal distraction.

Oh, I believe..
Dry Clean Depot
A dollar seventy-five
Yes, I believe,
Dry Clean depot
In by nine, out by five
99 cents for laundered shirts
Try Dry Clean Depot
and you'll beli-i-i-i-i-i-i-eve too!

(with a special extra supply of faux-gospel, where's-the-center-of-the-pitch caterwauling on the last line)
posted by umberto at 2:08 PM on April 18, 2002

"Every kiss begins with Kay."
posted by jerseygirl at 2:22 PM on April 18, 2002

Goldfish just flat-out rock. I worship at the altar of Goldfish. Metaphorically speaking, I think. I'm not kidding. No snack cracker could ever be an improvement. Thanks for the FPP.
posted by raysmj at 2:33 PM on April 18, 2002

Speaking of catchy jingles, this is one of my favorites.
posted by jaden at 2:39 PM on April 18, 2002

"Jewelry is the gift to give,
'Cause it's the gift that'll live and live!
So give the gift you know can't fail!
From __________________________"

yhbc,

I moved away from Oklahoma seven years ago. You had to bring that tune up.....How the hell am I gonna get that out of my head now.
posted by CJB at 2:55 PM on April 18, 2002

rcade, thx for the reminder of 7481414! The times-herald folded? I left texas 12 years ago, but that jingle's still with me.
Hello Detroiters: "You've got an uncle in the furniture biz-ness, Joshua Doore! Joshua Doore!" ("take it home in a crate", remember the TV commercials with the gremlin or other small car with the huge-ass crate strapped on top?)..and even more obscure, for Flintoids only, Citizens Bank had a weather ball on a post outside the downtown bank..
"When the weather ball is red, higher temperatures ahead
When the weather ball is blue, lower temperatures are due
When yellow is the weather ball, it means there'll be no change at all...
And when it blinks in agitation, There's going to be precipitation"
posted by Corky at 2:55 PM on April 18, 2002

Sorry to fail you, yhbc, but i don't remember the BC Clark jingle. I will NEVER, EVER forget the whole "Don't lay that trash oooooooooon oklahoooooooma, yeah!". Never.
posted by Ufez Jones at 3:11 PM on April 18, 2002

oh, metrocake. My Dad used to imitate the Carvel man and would always reach a crescendo with "Thinny-Thin"!

And I know the zoom zoom ad, but had to look up that it was actually for Mazda...
posted by sbgrove at 3:24 PM on April 18, 2002

I'm still haunted by that mid-eighties jingle that Dukakis commissioned for the Commonwealth:

The Spirit of Massachusetts
is the spirit of America
The Spirit of the Red, White and Blue...

Also, loved "Log". Did they have a jingle for "Don't Whiz on the Electric Fence?"
posted by jpbutler at 4:05 PM on April 18, 2002

Thanks for mentioning the illustrious Joe Carvel and Cookie Puss, although you neglected to mention Fudgie the Whale. My sister worked at a Carvel stand for two years and the sight of either of them still gives her a seizure. My two years on the line at the Pepperidge Farm plant had the same effect on me.
posted by jonmc at 4:14 PM on April 18, 2002

remember this corky..."...and dont just dry clean, No-No, Go Pro-clean". The weather ball is still there...our beacon.
posted by clavdivs at 4:16 PM on April 18, 2002

My favourite national jingle is still Chevy's rework of "Like a Rock" which was just a brilliant use of simile to describe their product. Totally catchy.

For Pittsburghers, I offer this shudder-worthy gem:

Lebanon Church Road
Minutes from the mall, Pitts-burgh
Lebanon Church Road
Minutes from the mall, Pitts-burgh
Century Three Chev-ro-let
Lebanon Church Road, Pitts-burgh
Century Three Chev-ro-let
Lebanon Church Road, Pitts-burgh
Minutes from the mall!
posted by Dreama at 4:20 PM on April 18, 2002

anyone in eugene, oregon remember the "take another ride on LTD" commercials? my friend from middle school wrote and performed that. i may never forgive her for it.
posted by pikachulolita at 5:06 PM on April 18, 2002

Wow. East Coast representz, yo! I can't believe we have the regional dibs on Carvel, Krass Bros., Ideal, Roy-al Au-to (heh) AND Jimmy's Used Auto Parts. The mind reels.
posted by iconomy at 5:08 PM on April 18, 2002

Wow. East Coast representz, yo!

We also got regional dibs on Duchess, Razcal soda, and Bob's Dicount Furniture as well.

East Coast all up inside this Mezetafiziliter, y'all.
posted by jonmc at 5:26 PM on April 18, 2002

Byyyyyy. Menen.

Who though of that? It made it into a Seinfeld episode.


Why doesn't Prozac have a jingle?

And on a tengential note, what y'all think of the Tommy Overture being used to sell the successor to Claritin?
posted by ParisParamus at 5:38 PM on April 18, 2002

I see now I have infected two out of three ex-Okies. Heh, heh, heh. Not bad for a day's work.

Most sales are after Christmas -
but Clark's is just before!
Most everything is marked way down -
Savings you can't ignore!

That stanza alone shows how old this damn jingle is.

Oh, and thanks also to the East Coasters for reminding me just how many annoying jingles there are out here, too.

"Quality, savings, and price! That's nice."
posted by yhbc at 5:47 PM on April 18, 2002

Why doesn't Prozac have a jingle?

OK, here goes:

When you're down and feelin' blue
Pro-zac rewires your brain for you
No matter what kind fix you're in
We'll give you that medicated grin

Prozac!Prozac! Whatever blows your hair back!

I think it's a winner.
posted by jonmc at 5:50 PM on April 18, 2002

jonmc, Vanilla Ice, of all people, beat you to it.

(watch out for goofy pop-up)
posted by yhbc at 5:58 PM on April 18, 2002

I guess I'm hooked on classics:

plop, plop
fizz, fizz
o, what a relief it is!

See the USA, in your Chevrolet!

Heinz' use of "Anticipation" in their ketchup commercials was inspired.

And in Chicago, long before there was an EMPIRE! Carpet, there was:

General Rug Cleaning has a new phone number, dial
462 - 1234!
posted by groundhog at 6:46 PM on April 18, 2002

groundhog, you're in Miami, so you must know the jingle from this joint:

just one look is worth a thousand words...

I especially loved that creepy doctor saying, "We're verrrry good..."
posted by jonmc at 6:53 PM on April 18, 2002

I'm dating myself, but what the hey. If you listened to AM radio in the Bay Area anytime during the Sixties, you'll remember this:

Is your engine sick & tired?
Want your car to run like new?
Automotive Engineering
pleases thousands, why not you?

And (not so much a jingle as it is a tagline)-
"That's Matthews, 64 hundred Mission Street, top of the
hill, Daly City!"
posted by bmarkey at 6:56 PM on April 18, 2002

Not enough Canadian representation, so here goes (and I am *so* dating myself here). Vancouver's best:

Dollar forty-nine day, Tues-day!
Dollar forty-nine day, Wood-wards!
(repeat in a whistle) Da da da da DA DA--DA DA!

and

Honest Nat's De-part-ment Stoooooore
48th and FRAser

They don't make 'em like they used to... I've been stuck with those for thirty years....
posted by jokeefe at 7:27 PM on April 18, 2002

Call 2 6 7 8 4 3 3 because the next best thing to new is Dalworth clean. hear it every Monday morning in the Dallas area.
posted by redhead at 7:54 PM on April 18, 2002

How about this McDonald's jingle:

"Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, Quarter Pounder, French Fries, Icy Coke, Thick Shakes, Sundaes, and Apple Pie."

I can't believe I remembered that one. : ) We used to use that as a jumprope rhyme in grade school, too.

Another Chicago one: "Celozzi Ettleson, where you always save more money!" A guy at my work actually has this cheesy Celozzi Ettleson snow globe, which has the two guys holding fistfuls of money, as money falls all around them when you shake it.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:18 PM on April 18, 2002

ynbc--you have to get lots of people at malls singing parts of that jingle on video tape and put it on t.v. to make it authentic (and make sure they are singning out of tune). I spent 12 yrs. in OKC, loved it!

You can hear it here. Jingle link is at the bottom. Damn, I won't be able to sleep tonight because that jingle keeps going through my head.
posted by RunsWithBandageScissors at 8:55 PM on April 18, 2002

"a hanker for a hunk of - a slab, a slice, a chunk-of, cheese and cracker is a winner, and it won't spoil my dinner! a hanker for a hunk of cheeeeeeeese (...) look! a wagon wheel!"

hm, maybe it doesn't technically count as a jingle, but didn't the "cheese council" (dairy farmers or something) actually pay for these little cartoony bits on saturday mornings? (be kind, i am a school-house rock generation)

and did i miss someone humming, "two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun.... (big mac!)"

think it's perverted a (albeit twisted) vegetarian sings this from time to time?
posted by eatdonuts at 9:10 PM on April 18, 2002

you bostonians know and hate this one:

4-2-3, 4-5, 4-5...
bos-ton MOVES to the HE-rald!
posted by pxe2000 at 9:32 PM on April 18, 2002

eatdonuts: I was trying to sing that to some friends and none of them had heard of it. I was starting to wonder if I'd imagined the whole thing. My favorite part was when his legs got all wobbly. I hanker for a hunk a cheese...
posted by jaden at 9:42 PM on April 18, 2002

cdavis I will never get that out of my head.
posted by goneill at 9:42 PM on April 18, 2002

Park. Shuttle. Fly.
posted by ssdecontrol at 10:33 PM on April 18, 2002

Hey jonmc, I also worked at a Carvel! Only for a month or so, as I came in with a bad hangover and the manager didn't appreciate it.

Here's another for those in the Connecticut area -

The jewelry we make
is the jewelry we sell
own an original
from Jewelry Designs

and that Bob's Discount radio ad with the funky casio beat, that is the shit, man.
posted by kittyloop at 10:39 PM on April 18, 2002

Thanks a lot, kittyloop, you just magically transported me to my morning commute. :)
posted by jonmc at 10:46 PM on April 18, 2002

Alright, this is my third time writing this post. Short and sweet.

My first two thoughts (giant glass and empire carpet) were posted right off the bat... cool.

Notice how the effective ones (giant, empire, slinky, etc) all have the name/number of the business or the product name in the jungle itself? And then there's ones like Mazda's "zoom zoom" ads, which you remember the tune to, but not always the product...

Of course that's not always the case. Witness this and this. (Yeah, that second one is an old recording, but it was the best I could find on short notice)

Oh, and thanks for the Herald jingle, pxe... was trying to remember that one.
posted by CrayDrygu at 10:53 PM on April 18, 2002

*singing* "Kentucky Fried Chicken, we do chicken...right!"

Anyone remember that catchy little line? That was before they removed the 'Kentucky', the 'Fried', and the 'Chicken'.

or the immortal:

"ho Ho HO! Green Gi-ant!"

or the dreadful:

"Strawberry Shortcake, nice and lookin' swell...
Cute little doll with the strawberry smell..."

or perhaps, instead of singing catchy little jingles, the most effective ad campaign would be to apopleptically scream:

"NATIONWIDE WAREHOUSE! NATIONWIDE WAREHOUSE! NATIONWIDE WAREHOUSE!"

posted by evanizer at 11:02 PM on April 18, 2002

DAMMIT! I knew I shouldn't have clicked that link and listened to the Giant Glass theme!

I'm sitting here two hours later and it just popped into my head again ARRRGH!

If I ever learn to play the trumpet, I need to learn that song so I can annoy people with it.
posted by CrayDrygu at 1:00 AM on April 19, 2002

If I ever learn to play the trumpet, I'm going to play the main theme from Airwolf, non-stop.
posted by dong_resin at 1:42 AM on April 19, 2002

Save today Tom Raper's way! (used car dealership between Indiana and Ohio)
posted by SilentSalamander at 7:01 AM on April 19, 2002

... The San Francisco Treat!
posted by grahamwell at 11:13 AM on April 19, 2002

...*Ding! Ding!*
posted by evanizer at 3:51 PM on April 19, 2002