Singing Slogans: The Famous Ad Jingles Quiz

Estimated Completion Time
3 min
Singing Slogans: The Famous Ad Jingles Quiz
Image: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

About This Quiz

Ad jingles are some of the catchiest tunes of all time, burrowing into your brain and lingering long after to influence shopping habits and pop culture. Take our quiz to see how much you remember about some of the best jingles ever composed.
What year did Folgers debut its famous "best part of wakin' up" campaign?
1974
1984
1994
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Leslie Pearl composed the original Folgers jingle, which has been featured in the company's commercials since 1984. It's also been revamped into other musical genres, including country, jazz, gospel and even Celtic.

How long did it take composer Richard Trentlage to compose the "Oscar Mayer wiener" song?
one day
one month
one year
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Jingle composer Trentlage wrote the famous Oscar Mayer song — on a banjo ukulele — in just one day. It debuted in 1963 and became a massive hit for the company.

Which of the following was NOT part of the Big Mac when McDonald's released its famous jingle in 1974?
ketchup
lettuce
pickles
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Children of the '70s may remember the tune, which goes "two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, pickles, onions on a sesame seed bun." No ketchup in sight.

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Which gum encouraged buyers to cozy up and "kiss a little longer"?
Juicy Fruit
Doublemint
Big Red
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Big Red came out in 1976, but it was a 1979 jingle that encouraged buyers to get romantic — while chewing Big Red, of course.

Which artist remixed the famous Meow Mix jingle for charity in 2012?
CeeLo Green
Adam Levine
Jennifer Lopez
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Meow Mix had retired its famous jingle — consisting of earnest cat meows — back in 1996. The company asked CeeLo and his cat Purrfect to remix the tune in 2012 to benefit hungry pets.

True or false: The 2008 Chris Brown hit "Forever" was really a commercial for Doublemint gum.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Ever notice the song lyrics "double your pleasure, double your fun"? That was no coincidence. The Wrigley Co. paid for the song to help advertise its nearly 100-year-old Doublemint gum.

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Which gum has taste that's "gonna move ya"?
Fruit Stripe
Juicy Fruit
Bubble Yum
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Juicy Fruit has classically used an action-packed commercial to sell its gum, promising that the taste is gonna move ya! In 2008, singer Julianne Hough rerecorded the classic jingle for a series of modern commercials the company planned.

Who wrote the "like a good neighbor" jingle for State Farm?
Barry Manilow
Tom Jones
George Harrison
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Crooner Barry Manilow penned the State Farm ditty and earned just $500 for the privilege.

What product might say "Libby's" on the label?
canned coffee
canned chicken
canned vegetables
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Libby's is a line of canned veggies with an incredibly catchy jingle. Singer Sara Evans gave the song a modern twist when she rerecorded it in 2008.

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When did Subway roll out its "$5 footlong" campaign?
2008
2010
2012
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Subway rolled out the "$5 footlong" commercial, along with a catchy jingle, back in 2008 after a franchisee came up with the idea.

What company's famous jingle was recorded by Captain Stubby and the Buccaneers back in 1954?
Oscar Mayer
Roto-Rooter
Campbell's
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The novelty band recorded the famous Roto-Rooter jingle, which tells viewers to "call Roto-Rooter, that's the name" to send plumbing problems down the drain.

What burger chain assured buyers that it didn't mind special orders with a '70s jingle?
McDonald's
Wendy's
Burger King
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Hold the pickles; hold the lettuce; special orders don't upset us" crooned singers in a 1970s Burger King ad spot, which encouraged diners to "have it your way!"

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What type of product told buyers to "be a pepper" back in 1977?
canned veggies
pizza
soda
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Beverage makers encouraged buyers to "be a pepper" in 1977 by indulging in a nice, cold glass of Dr. Pepper.

Which of these product jingles was featured in a 1994 episodes of "The Simpsons"?
Oscar Mayer wiener song
Armour hot dogs song
Oscar Mayer bologna song
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the episode "Lady Bouvier's Lover," the Simpsons family parodies the famous Armour hot dogs jingle "the dog kids love to bite!"

What year was "I'd like to buy the world a Coke" introduced?
1961
1971
1981
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The jingle was shipped to radio stations in February 1971 and had already become a hit by the time the first commercials hit TV in July of that same year.

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True or false: The 1971 Coke jingle was inspired by the song "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Coke jingle came first and actually charted on its own before The New Seekers recorded "I'd Like to Teach the World to Sing."

Which of these toy categories is NOT featured in the Toys R Us jingle?
blocks
bikes
trains
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Toys R Us has a million toys that you can play with, "from bikes to trains to video games," according to the popular '80s jingle.

What year did Kit Kat debut its "gimme a break" commercials?
1966
1976
1986
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Kit Kat started with "have a break … have a Kit Kat," which came out in 1957. "Gimme a break" debuted in 1986.

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What city calls Rice-a-Roni its hometown treat?
San Francisco
San Diego
San Bernardino, California
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

A 1959 jingle labeling Rice-A-Roni as "the San Francisco treat" sent sales for the Golden Grain Macaroni Co. soaring.

What burger chain assured diners that "you deserve a break today"?
Burger King
McDonald's
Wendy's
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1999, Ad Age called McDonald's 1971 "you deserve a break today" campaign one of the best jingles of all time.

What year did bologna get its first and last names?
1954
1964
1974
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Oscar Mayer gave bologna a solid identity with the "bologna song," which came out in 1974.

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True or false: Alka-Seltzer's "plop plop, fizz fizz" campaign made users believe they should always take two tablets at once.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The jingle itself was catchy, and the technique of using a pair of plops and fizzes made buyers assume that two tablets was better than one, which further increased sales for Alka-Seltzer.

True or false: The guy who wrote the "baby back ribs" jingle for Chili's composed the tune in five minutes.
true
false
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Marketer Guy Bommarito wrote the earworm in about five minutes. He also confessed in a 2015 interview that he's never actually eaten Chili's famous ribs.

What pop group recorded its own version of the Chili's jingle in 2001?
Backstreet Boys
98 Degrees
NSYNC
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Boy band NSYNC did a harmonized version of the jingle for a 2001 commercial. The jingle was also adopted into the "Austin Powers" movie in 1999.

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Which of these products featured a commercial with people flapping their arms like chickens?
Chicken Tonight
Kentucky Fried Chicken
Chicken for Dinner
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In the '90s, Ragu's Chicken Tonight simmer sauce used commercials with people flapping their arms like chickens as they sang the catchy jingle.

What was the official name of the creepy creatures in the 2003 Quiznos commercials?
spider monkeys
spongemonkeys
gerbils
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The official line is that these creatures, which "loved the subs" because "they are toasty," were called spongemonkeys.

What company's products are "m'm! m'm! good!"?
Ragu
Campbell's
Lipton
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Campbell's has used this famous jingle to advertise soup and other products since its 1931 radio ads.

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What future famous actor starred in a 1975 commercial, where he sang that he was "stuck on Band-Aid"?
George Clooney
Tom Hanks
John Travolta
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In 1975, Travolta and company stood in the shower as they sang an ode to Band-Aid.

Which cereal featured the first singing jingle in a commercial?
Cheerios
Wheaties
Corn Flakes
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Way back in 1926, Wheaties was the first to use a singing jingle with "have you tried Wheaties?"

What tagline went with a series of Mentos commercials in the '90s?
the freshmaker
freshtastic
minty fresh
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

"Fresh goes better" with Mentos in a series of cheesy '90s commercials that ended with the tagline "the freshmaker."

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