00:00 This episode discusses how commercial jingles work and includes a discussion about the origin of the first commercial jingle for the podcast.

04:28 Commercial jingles are songs or snippets of memorable melodies written about a product, and can include slogans, phone numbers, call letters, or audio branding.

08:36 Audio branding is a more complex version of jingles, aiming to capture the essence of a brand with a few notes or melodies, and can also tout the benefits of a product.

12:43 Jingles became popular in the 30s because they realized that music could make a real impact in advertising, and the Wheaties Quartet proved this early on.

17:51 Jingles became popular in the 30s because they realized that music could make a real impact in advertising, and the Wheaties Quartet proved this early on. Jingles need to be simple, repetitive, and often rhyme in order to stick in people's heads and become part of their consciousness. Earworms, or songs that get stuck in your head, exploit the natural neurological process of the phonological loop and can be difficult to get rid of.

22:26 The host and guest discuss a playlist of songs that get stuck in people's heads, including jingles and popular songs.

26:55 Commercial jingles are still prevalent on sports radio, but they are viewed as hokey and companies are more likely to appropriate pop songs for their advertising campaigns.

30:50 Artists are often approached by companies to use their songs in commercials, and while some artists refuse, others are willing to license their music for the right price.

34:53 Product placement in TV shows and commercials can be done poorly, as demonstrated by a hilariously bad soap opera scene featuring Cheerios, but when done well, it can be effective in promoting a brand.

38:50 If you have a commercial jingle, send us a link and let's start a conversation about it.