Since the earliest days of commercial radio, companies have been using sound to worm their way into our brains. And over the decades, they’ve come up with all kinds of sonic tactics to make us want, crave and remember their products. In this episode, we take a whirlwind tour through the sounds of persuasion. This story was adapted from the show Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly.
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View Transcript ▶︎
[music in]
You’re listening to Twenty Thousand Hertz.
I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s… which meant I watched way too many TV commercials. And back then, many of these ads were built around sound.
[clip: TV commercial montage]
That Chili’s jingle was written in the mid 90s by an ad executive named Guy Bommarito. At the time, he didn’t think it was gonna work. Here’s Guy in a Great Big Story piece.
Guy Bommarito: No one, not myself, no one at Chili’s heard the piece of music after it was done and thought, “This is gonna be around for 20 years.” I thought it would be gone after 6 weeks.
But Guy was totally wrong. His jingle was such a big hit that it quickly broke free of commercials, and became a cultural phenomenon. Mike Myers sang it in Austin Powers 2.
[clip: Austin Powers 2]
Steve Carell and Tim Meadows sang it in The Office.
[clip: The Office]
In a Scrubs episode, Dr. Cox tortures another doctor by taping him to a chair in front of a group of singers.
[clip: Scrubs]
If there was a jingle hall of fame, Baby Back Ribs would definitely be in it, along with KitKat’s Gimme a Break, and McDonald’s I’m Lovin It. Here’s Guy again.
Guy Bommarito: People would either say, “That’s my favorite song. I love it,” or they would say, “If I hear that song one more time, I’m gonna stick a fork in my eye.”
[music in]
Since the earliest days of commercial radio, companies have been using sound to worm their way into our brains. Sometimes it’s obvious, like an earworm that gets stuck in your head for hours at a time. But other times, it’s more subtle, like the little chime that plays when you complete a purchase on the Nintendo eShop.
[clip: eShop chime]
That sound is designed to give you a little shot of dopamine every time you buy a new game. In other words, it’s supposed to make you wanna buy more games.
[clip: eShop chime cascade]
There are so many examples like these out there. So today, we’re going to rapid fire a bunch of these stories along with longtime ad man Terry O'Reilly. Terry’s a broadcaster with decades of experience in the ad industry, so he knows this stuff inside and out. This episode is adapted from his podcast, Under the Influence. Here’s Terry.
[music out]
[music in]
Terry: Marketers have long used sound and sound effects in advertising, having learned important lessons in the early days of motion pictures and radio. With the advent of radio in the 1920s, an advertising executive said, “Never before in history had 50 million people listened to the same sound at exactly the same time.” It was revolutionary.
Terry: Advertisers soon began to use sound to embed brands in people's minds. And throughout the ensuing decades, advertising experimented with different kinds of sounds in order to persuade. Many hours have been spent in boardrooms and recording studios trying to decide which sounds create the most desire, which ones are the most memorable, and which most perfectly capture the essence of a product.
Terry: The use of sound as a selling tool goes back a long way in the history of advertising. In 1939, for example, Old Dutch Cleanser was running radio commercials. They described how Old Dutch cleaned sinks, pots, and pans better than any other cleanser. The reason was because Old Dutch contained an ingredient that cleaned and polished surfaces without scratching.
Old Dutch: When Mrs. Irving Kruse of 2000 Greenleaf Avenue, Chicago watched the coin test, she said, quote, “It's amazing to see the difference in cleansers. The coin moves so smoothly over the Old Dutch. Of course, my experience bears out the results of the coin test. I've used Old Dutch for years, and know it doesn't scratch.” Unquote.
Terry: But how do you prove a visual promise on radio? Old Dutch chose a coin test. Two glasses were used. The first sprinkled with another leading cleanser. The second with Old Dutch. And this is what listeners heard.
Old Dutch: Take a piece of glass and sprinkle a little cleanser on it. Then, rub a coin over the cleanser. Listen. That grinding and grating sound is your warning that this cleanser contains scratchy particles that will mar surfaces. Making them harder to keep clean, more work for you.
Terry: But when the coin was used on the Old Dutch glass, listeners heard this.
Old Dutch: Now hear the big difference when we make the same test with Old Dutch. There is no unpleasant scratching sound because Old Dutch is made with seismotype, and the coin moves smoothly over the flaky flat-shaped particle.
Terry: It was a mighty persuasive sound, or should I say, non-sound, and Old Dutch became the choice of households everywhere.
[music in]
Terry: Maxwell House coffee harnessed sound to sell its product. The smell of fresh brewed coffee was a powerful selling tool, but it was impossible to employ on radio and television. So Maxwell House used the sound of brewing coffee to stimulate the smell in people's minds.
Maxwell: This is the coffee pot at work. Listen to it perk. Look at the coffee as it gets darker and stronger. Smell the honest coffee smell. Ah, smell it. But will this cup of coffee taste as good as it smells? You bet it will because it's Maxwell House, the coffee that tastes as good as it smells every time.
For decades, Folgers has used the same strategy in their commercials: using sound to evoke the smell of fresh coffee.
Folgers: Mountain grown aroma coming though. Folgers Aroma Roasted Coffee made from mountain grown beans richly roasted and finely ground for great waking up aroma. Oh what that aroma can do, brighter day for me and you. The best part of waking up is Folgers in your cup!
Terry: Alka Seltzer was another brand that persuaded through sound. I suspect the following commercial isn't so much about the Christmas holidays, as it was about hangovers.
Alka Seltzer: When you check off that last item on your Christmas shopping list, it's a big relief to know that all your shopping's done. But before you do tear up that list, be sure you've bought some Alka Seltzer. You don't want a headache, upset stomach, or general achiness to spoil your holiday fun.
Terry: Now listen as an Alka Seltzer tablet is dropped into a glass of water. The sound is meant to brand the product.
Alka Seltzer: Then just drop one or two tablets into a glass of water like this. Listen to it fizz. That's Alka Seltzer changing into a sparkling liquid for relief.
Terry: When Alka Seltzer realized it could double sales overnight by recommending two tablets be used at a time, “Plop Plop Fizz Fizz” became a powerful audio cue. Here's a commercial where Sammy Davis Jr. takes over the sound effect duties.
Sammy Davis Jr.: Plop, plop, fizz, fizz. Ooh, what a relief it is. Fast, fast, fast!
[music in]
Sound can also introduce people to a new technology. Because technology can often be confusing, especially when you have several companies making similar things. A memorable sound is a great way to make people choose your product, whether it’s a cell phone [clip: Nokia ringtone], a computer chip [clip: Intel logo], or a game console.
[clip: Sega jingle].
That’s all coming up, after the break.
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MIDROLL
[music in]
Terry: Fast Company once published an interesting article titled, “The 10 Most Addictive Sounds in the World.” In it, marketing writer Martin Lindstrom states that sounds have a unique ability to make us buy more, want more, dream more, and eat more.
[sfx: Vegas sounds]
Terry: He notes, for example, that when the sounds were removed from slot machines in Las Vegas, revenue fell by 24%.
Terry: So that didn't last long.
Sound can also be a powerful tool for marketing food. To promote Rice Krispies, Kellogg’s invented a trio of characters named after the sounds that the cereal makes when you pour milk on it.
Rice Krispies: We’re Snap, Crackle & Pop, so rise and shine, Rice Krispie time!
Rice Krispies: Snap, Crackle, Pop, Rice Krispies!
In the early 60s, Kellog’s even got The Rolling Stones to write and record a Rice Krispies jingle.
The Rolling Stones: Pour on the milk and listen to the snap that says it’s nice. Pour on the milk and listen to the crackle of that rice. Get up in the morning to the pop that says it’s rice. Heaven talkin’ crisp, Rice Krispies!
More recently, Kellogg’s hired a Danish lab to develop a signature crunch for their cornflakes. They wanted people to be able to hear the difference between generic corn flakes [sfx: weak crunch] and Kellogg’s
[sfx: powerful crunch].
Corn Flakes: I want the crunch. That crispy crunch. I want the best in my bowl, I want Kellog’s Corn Flakes.
[music in]
Terry: Car manufacturers employ acoustic engineers to create very specific sounds. Mercedes, Lexus, and even Ford, for example, create a recognizable vault-like sound when their car doors close. [sfx: door close] That sound is one of the first prospective buyers hear when they're in the showroom, so it's important. The meaty “ker chunk” sound of a car door closing is carefully chosen to persuade you that you are secure, and it also gives you a subconscious sense of value.
[music in]
Terry: Choosing sound is a delicate process. The sound a can of Pringles potato chips makes when it's opened is engineered specifically to make you associate the product with lip smacking freshness. [sfx: pringles open] At McDonald's, even the scratchy, punching sound your straw makes when it penetrates the plastic lid [sfx: straw] is created specifically to make you crave an ice cold Coke and a large fry.
[music in]
Terry: Many advertisers use mnemonics to create audio branding. The word mnemonic comes from the Greek word “numan,” meaning mindful and relating to memory. It's spelled M N E M O N I C. Considering it's a word about remembering. It's ironic that the spelling is almost impossible to remember.
Terry: The definition of a mnemonic is “a device such as a pattern of letters, ideas, sounds, or associations that assists in remembering something.”
Terry: The use of audio mnemonics goes back a long way. Avon used a mnemonic in its TV commercials, beginning in the 1950s.
[music out]
Avon: Avon calling.
Terry: The Avon doorbell was an inviting sound, and it captured the essence of Avon, which was a door to door sales strategy. It began as a company in 1886, and because so many customers were rural at the time, Avon sales people had to travel to reach them.
Terry: By 1954, sales had reached 55 million dollars, and the famous Avon Calling campaign was launched. The doorbell mnemonic had two tasks: one, to brand Avon commercials, and two, to persuade women to welcome Avon reps into their homes when they heard their own doorbells ring.
Avon: Your Avon representative will be calling soon to help you achieve the Avon total look of glamor. Welcome her. [sfx: doorbell] Avon calling.
Terry: For years, Nokia used a very familiar mnemonic. [sfx: Nokia ringtone] It's a musical phrase taken from a composition called Gran Vals by the Spanish classical composer Francisco Turega, written in 1902. The phrase is taken from bars 13 to 16.
[clip: Gran Vals]
Terry: The Nokia mnemonic was heard an estimated 1.8 billion times a day, which means it was played more than 20,000 times per second, reinforcing Nokia's brand in the mobile phone category.
In 2011, Nokia held a contest where people could submit remakes of the classic ringtone. The winner would get their ringtone shipped on over a hundred million new Nokia phones. One of the finalists was this big band version.
[sfx: Nokia Big Band]
There was also a vocal version, called Nokia Capella.
[sfx: Nokia Capella]
But the winner was this dubstep version.
[sfx: Nokia Dubstep]
Terry: Intel used this mnemonic for years. [clip: Intel logo] The company used it to solve a branding problem. Intel manufactured the microprocessor chips that went inside computers. Computer chips had never been branded before. And the biggest problem was they were invisible. They were hidden deep inside your computer. And the public didn't care about them. So Intel created a mnemonic to be used, not only in Intel commercials, but in any commercials for computers that used Intel chips.
Terry: It's a simple five note mnemonic. But not so simple to create. The first tone is an audio sparkle made up of more than 20 sounds, including a tambourine, an anvil, an electric spark, and a hammer on a pipe. [sfx: various sounds] The four notes that follow are a mix of xylophone, marimba, bells, and other sounds.
[sfx: sound mix]
Terry: The mnemonic told the public that the computer had Intel inside, and that the fastest computers had Intel chips.
In fact, the melody itself is meant to mimic the tagline: [sung] Intel Inside.
Terry: So, that mnemonic created a demand for computers with Intel inside. [clip: Intel logo]
Sometimes, all you need for a good mnemonic is to just say the brand’s name in a memorable way.
[clip: Sega jingle]
Starting in the early 80s, Sega used that in tons of commercials. It also played when you started up games like Sonic the Hedgehog. Not only was it catchy, it also taught people how Sega was supposed to be pronounced.
[clip: Sega jingle]
In the 90s, Sony used a similar tactic, and put this soundbite at the end of their Playstation commercials.
[clip: Playstation voice]
The voice in that recording belongs to a Japanese singer songwriter named Takako Minekawa. Here’s a song of hers called Fantastic Cat.
[clip: Takako Minekawa - Fantastic Cat]
Hot Pockets managed to make their name into an unforgettable 3-note jingle.
[clip: Hot Pockets]
That jingle was the subject of a classic bit by comedian Jim Gaffigan.
Jim Gaffigan: Do love that jingle. Do you think they worked hard on that song? “What do you got so far Bill?” “Uh uh Hot Pocket.” “That’s good! That’s very good. It’s not as good as your By Mennan, but it’s good.”
However Jim feels about it, it’s pretty impressive that I can’t even read the phrase Hot Pocket without hearing the melody in my head.
[clip: Hot Pockets melody]
[music in]
Terry: It is remarkable how much we rely on our sense of hearing. It truly is our 24 hour warning system, staying on duty tirelessly, scanning relentlessly, even as we sleep, even as we dream.
Terry: It may be the one sense that helped us survive our caveman days. As a creator of sound, I find it interesting that whenever I wanted to create a peaceful inviting soundscape in a commercial, I often chose this sound.
[sfx: birdcalls]
Terry: And there's probably a reason for that, going back to caveman days as a matter of fact. When something predatory was sneaking through the underbrush, birds stopped singing. [sfx: snake hiss] So if birds are singing, you know everything is alright.
[sfx: birdcalls]
[music in]
Terry: And that's what makes sound such a persuasive selling tool. It makes it possible to see clean glassware on radio, smell coffee when looking at a TV screen, make our mouths water, and conjure up images of a brand when no other information is present.
Terry: That's the amazing thing about sound. It can speak to us on so many levels… when you're under the influence.
That story was adapted from Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly. In each episode, Terry connects the dots between pop culture, marketing and human nature. He’s explored things like the guerrilla marketing tactics of horror films, and the most creative Help Wanted ads ever. Subscribe to Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly right here in your podcast player.
Twenty Thousand Hertz is produced out of the sound design studios of Defacto Sound.
Terry: This episode was recorded in the Terrestrial Mobile Recording Studio. Producer, Debbie O'Reilly. Sound engineer, Geoff Devine. Tunes provided by APM Music.
Additional material for this episode was written by Casey Emmerling, with help from Grace East. It was sound designed and mixed by Justin Hollis, with original music by Wesley Slover.
Terry: I'm Terry O'Reilly.
And I’m Dallas Taylor. Thanks for listening.
[music out]
