McDonald's Jingle, 20 Years Later

[JoelR]

Since 2003, the chain has seen menu items, ad agencies, and CEOs come and go. Its jingle, however, has been a constant.

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Everyone knows the McDonald’s jingle. Even people who think they don’t.

On a 90-degree day at Brooklyn’s McCarren Park in early September, parkgoer Kash Livingston told us he wasn’t familiar with the jingle. But as soon as he heard “ba da ba ba ba,” he said, “I’m Lovin’ It.”

In 2003, the fast-food giant reportedly paid Justin Timberlake $6 million to sing it. In the two decades since, other celebrities, from Destiny’s Child to Brian Cox, have put their spins on the tune. Its origins and credits have been the subject of much debate, but one thing is clear: It’s one of the most recognizable jingles in the world.

“It’s embedded in my brain at this point,” Nina Benitich, another park visitor walking two dogs, said that same day.

How did McDonald’s achieve every brand’s dream of living rent-free in the heads of basically every person? It started, as most things in advertising do, with an RFP.

Although most online communities don't think about music jingles as part of their brand outreach, there are universal elements to the McDonald's jingle that we might want to embrace: its universality, its positivity with its "jolt of joy", and its sheer repetition.  

Inspired By Marketing Brew: https://www.marketingbrew.com/stories/2023/10/23/mcdonald-s-jingle-20-years-later