From Thermal King Windows and Bob Sight Independence Kia to Midwest Hemorrhoid Treatment Center and Celsius Tannery, local homegrown advertising jingles have become lodged in our brains. Composed by accomplished musicians, local jingles aim to translate their message in a short and catchy tune.
Danny Cox, the composer and long-time performer of the Grass Pad jingles, shares the origin of Grass Pad’s tagline, “high on grass.”
“Mike who owns the Grass Pad, he and I were just sitting around talking…and he was just saying to me, ‘You know, when…I'm cutting my grass, man,’ he says, 'I am just high.’ And I said, ‘Mike, do you think we could actually say you're high on grass?’”
Timothy Taylor, professor of ethnomusicology at the University of California - Los Angeles, specializing in music and consumer culture, explains the history of jingles. The trend was popularized in the Great Depression by the Pepsi-Cola jingle, but fell out of favor in the 1980’s when pop songs were used to promote national brands. However, jingles live on in regional and local ads.
“There's often a hardcore sales pitch wrapped up in a jingle,” Taylor explains, “So if you can make it memorable and fun to listen to, that sales pitch can go down pretty easily.”
- Danny Cox, composer and performer of the Grass Pad jingles
- Timothy Taylor, Professor of Ethnomusicology at UCLA, specializing in music and consumer culture
