Jingles have been a part of advertising since the days of streetcallers and traveling performers. Radio upped it a notch, as did TV. In 1970, Coca-Cola proudly sent the ultimate peace, love and good living message with hilltop sing-alongs to Like to Teach the World to Sing. The song became an instant hit, selling a million records. A decade later, Madonna and Michael Jackson tried to get in on the action. Even though Michael caught his hair on fire while shooting his commercial and the Like a Prayer ad with Madonna was pulled after just one broadcast, the infamy of the two ads sold lots of Pepsi. One of the most successful marriages of music and advertising was the California Raisins, who heard it through the grapevine and skyrocketed sales of raisins throughout the U.S. And Nike started a revolution - and controversy - by using the Beatles' Revolution in one of its running ads. |