Since the days of the Mad Men era, there have been plenty of memorable campaigns based on the familiar tune of a jingle.  In 1971 Coke proclaimed they wanted to “buy the world a coke and keep it company. In 1973 we saw a young boy spelling out the name of his Oscar Mayer Bologna.  In 1987, our very own Tastykake taught us that “Nobody bakes a cake as tasty as a Tastykake”, and anyone born before 1980 has definitely enjoyed a little “Riunite on Ice“.

So what happened over the past two decades?  There has been a noticeable decline in the amount of jingles over the airwaves, and of those advertisers who have chosen a little song or dance, most lack any sort of memorable impact. The famous jingles of the past all had a sticking power that made you want to keep singing the tune long after you heard the commercial. They were full length audio productions where few even saw the light of day on an album.

So why can’t we breathe new life to this genre? In a world with a new media outlet popping up every few weeks.  With hundreds of ways to get your jingle out to the masses through viral or social media outlets, why would anyone not want to take a stab at the new “I don’t want to grow up” of Toys ‘r Us fame.  Is it that younger generations look for more organic advertising messages and the jingle just feels too contrived? Could it be that with all the control we have over when and how we received our media there is simply no room for the Jingle to gain steam? Will we see a return of the Jingle over the next few years with FreeCreditReport.com leading the way?

In an effort to bring back the classics from the past, here are some of our favorites. What are some of your favorites?

Riunite Wine- 1983:

Oscar Meyer Bologna – 1973:

Free Credit Report (Pirates) – 2007:

Over the past year WPHT has made some programming changes, introducing local content / host programming versus syndicated programming.    In reviewing the past 12-months, WPHT has remained consistent in the ratings game, keeping within the top 15 stations in the market against the ever so popular A35+ demographic which lends itself to the News / Talk format.

Will local content win out over national syndicated programming?  Only time will tell.

The Movers and Shakers program was established to honor outstanding achievers in the Greater Philadelphia Communications Industry who, through their personal efforts and leadership, have had a very significant, positive, memorable and profound impact on our professional community.

Below are some photos from the event.

This year domestic box office for 1^st Quarter was torrid and with a stream of high profile projects set to open next month, Hollywood is primed for a record breaking year.  There are already six films that have exceeded the magic $100 million threshold:

We may finally realize something that movie studios have only dreamed of up to now: a genuine twelve month calendar of films, with high profile releases every week.  The film companies know that increased film going builds a momentum and that audiences get into a rhythm of going to the movies.

And, although there will be something for every moviegoers’ tastes as we head into summer, the big winners will be the fanboys.  They aren’t used to being popular and most actually like being on the fringe. Hollywood’s hunger for heroes has placed these fanboys front and center.  Look for these films to generate lots of buzz and a box office bonanza.

• 5/4 - The Avengers
• 5/18 - Battleship
• 6/1 - Snow White and the Huntsman
• 6/8 - Prometheus
• 7/3 - The Amazing Spider-Man
• 7/20 - The Dark Knight Rises
• 8/3 - Total Recall (2012)

Let’s refresh everyone’s memory.  Due to high production costs, and claiming a shift in viewer preferences towards “lifestyles” programming, ABC made the decision to cancel long-running soaps “All My Children” (AMC) in September and “One Live to Live” (OLTL), this past January.  Replacements were food-focused “The Chew” airing Monday-Friday 1-2PM, and health and life-improvement focused “The Revolution” at 2-3PM.

The Update?  Good and bad news.  “The Chew” is chomping happily, while “The Revolution” seems to be losing in the ratings battle. In fact, “The Chew’s” ratings have almost doubled, delivering an average 1.3 Women 18-49 rating on WPVI (January –March 2012) compared to a .7 average rating for AMC during the same months in 2011. However, “The Revolution” is not keeping pace with OLTL viewers and ratings are down 22%.

ABC is planning more menu changes come September, with the addition of Katie Couric’s talk show “Katie” slated to air in “General Hospital’s” 3PM slot (looks like GH may be chopped?).  However, TV Guide reports that Couric is concerned about a poor lead-in from “The Revolution” and a potential negative fall-out by viewers attributing her new show with a GH cancellation (if it should occur).  So for now the “Katie” time slot is still up in the air.

Our suggestion?  Revoke “The Revolution”, shift GH to 2PM, and put “Katie” at 3PM.  That serves up a palatable spread, don’t you think?

So how did the stable of radio stations perform on the Philly frontier last year?  We corralled the monthly ratings to see how they measured up. 

Overall, there were few format changes, which resulted in rather traditional listening patterns.  Riding high in the saddle were demo leaders, starting with rocker WMMR-FM leading the charge with young adults and across male categories.  Also ahead of the pack is WBEB-FM, “The Bee”, which dominates the adult and women 25-54 demos. And all news radio KYW-AM is still a forced to be reckoned with, ranking in the top three for many adult demos, primarily in morning drive.

However, there is some concern regarding the muster of key station ratings, as some deliveries trailed off in the second half of the year.  There was only one major format change in the market that may have affected male demos.  This was rocker WYSP-FM’s switch to WIP-FM, Sports Talk in September.  However, much of its increase came directly from its AM counterpart, now enjoying the higher FM platform.  We are also watching the Sports Talk duel between the WPENs and the WIPs, and we’ll let you know how it shakes out.

So why did some deliveries ride off into the sunset?  We can only speculate that other digital radio alternatives may be storming the fort.

As Hal Riney tells it, he was working at a San Francisco agency and a local bank hired them to produce a campaign.  If memory serves the purpose of the campaign was to bring in new customers.  Riney said that the “idea” was to come up with a song.  He told the bank that he didn’t know what the song was, how it would sound or what it would say. But he needed a song.

Riney hires Paul Williams who writes “We’ve Only Just Begun.”  The campaign attracted young people just starting out in life.  Apparently, it worked so well that they had to pull it.  The bank wasn’t in the position to be lending to the volume of young, first-time home buyers who were motivated by the campaign.

Let me know what you think of the spot!

Let’s face the fact that no one can agree on what makes a good movie.  If you think that a broad consensus is necessary for a film to receive an Oscar nomination, think again.  The nominating process has a complexity that rivals the judging at the Olympic ice skating competition.  The Academy affirmed its experiment to expand the Best Picture category.  Nine films have been nominated.  This makes for an interesting stew and the potential for a dark horse winner, especially in a very competitive year.  In addition to the intimate, small-scale films that have dominated the Best Picture race in recent years, there is a well-rounded representation including an extensive digital effects film, a biographical sports drama and a silent movie.  A more subtle comparison is how the top nominated films were initially regarded by professional critics upon their theatrical release.  By this informal measure, “The Artist” leads the pack, followed closely by “Hugo”, “Midnight in Paris” and “The Descendants”.

Here is a closer look at who will bring home the top prize and what criteria help determine the winner.  Praise from critics is important.  If a film is well received in New York and Los Angeles and wins some critic’s awards, then the film will be a factor.  Box office impact is a definable measuring tool.  Rarely does a disappointment at the box office win the top prize.  Strong acting performances are essential.  Superior acting is a film’s most identifiable mark of quality.  Tackling an important theme instills relevance.  This reinforces the popular opinion that Academy voters are drawn to films with social significance.  Cachet of a heavyweight director attracts votes.

The Oscar winner is not always the pinnacle of filmmaking achievement.  The truth is, more often than not, that Academy members, voting as individuals but thinking as a group, award films that will bring honor to the Academy.

So, now you have all the information necessary to correctly pick this year’s winner.  Good luck.

I found the audio track on for Ideal on YouTube.

Remember the New Jersey retailer that dominated the local air waves with this awesome jingle?  Let me know where I can find this spot.

And, of course, let me know what you think of this awesome ditty!

Check your pick for each nominee. Entry must be received no later than Friday, February 24 by 5:00 PM. Only one entry per person. In the event of a tie, the winner will be drawn at random from all correct entries.

This year we have exciting prizes!

1st Prize:  $50 PrimoHoagies Gift Card

2nd Prize:  $25 Regal Cinemas Gift Card

3rd Prize:  $25 Regal Cinemas Gift Card