Jingle Writing !! 149Jingles
Many successful songwriters do not write well-crafted jingles. Writing
miniature songs is a special craft that requires the ability to compress the
song form. A skillful jingle writer can write a 30-second hook, meaning
that both the verse and the chorus is memorable. The average duration of
a television jingle is 30 seconds; most jingles are edited to 15-second ver-
sions. Some 30-second versions are called ‘‘lifts,’’ meaning that they are
edited (‘‘lifted’’) from a longer version. (‘‘Lifting’’ does not necessarily
indicate that the track was cut and pasted. Most often, the composition
and arrangement have to be rewritten to fit the time.) The average radio
commercial is 60 seconds, meaning that the jingle has to also work in a
shorter format, such as 30 seconds. Analogous to an underscore, a com-
poser might write a jingle that works in a 60-second format but not work
when it is edited to 30 seconds. Composers must be aware of this potential
dilemma during the writing process. Agencies will expect the majority of
jingles to be adaptable.
Most campaigns require that the music not only adapt to different tim-
ings but also adapt to various arranging styles. Most national prestigious
advertising campaigns are played for at least a year, and the agency will
most likely film a variety of commercials based around a central idea,
called a ‘‘pool-out.’’
This suggests a need for musical variety. A jingle will most likely go
through many incarnations before airing. Prior to selecting a final jingle,
agencies frequently request demos arranged in three or four styles. Clients
will most likely spend large sums purchasing airtime and will not risk
selecting a jingle that is not adaptable.
Most successful jingles have a very strong ‘‘hook’’ line that becomes a
musical logo for the product. (The lyric of the logo is generally used in
an accompanying print campaign.) Sometimes, the melody of the jingle is
played instrumentally (called a ‘‘bed’’), and only the hook line is sung as
a tagline or sung intermittently throughout the commercial; announcer’s
copy or dialogue is usually inserted between the singing. (The spaces are
referred to as ‘‘donuts.’’) For example, the announcer says, ‘‘The
is the safest car on the road,’’ and the singers sing, ‘‘Buckle up for safety.’’
Then the announcer says, ‘‘The car has been voted the safest car on the
road for the past three years,’’ followed by the singers singing, ‘‘Buckle up
for safety.’’ This format continues throughout the commercial.
Lyrics Written by Copywriters
Agency copywriters generally write the lyrics for jingles. Frequently, this
creates a problem for composers because most agency copywriters are not
lyricists. Writers are usually given a ‘‘laundry list’’ of topics to be included