Jingles roundup, Summer 2016

Listeners may not think about radio jingles until they suddenly change…

The worst part about moving somewhere new is having to hear a whole bunch of different annoying local jingles on tv and radio.

— 🔥💩 Kevin (@kevincorley13) August 26, 2016

Something you don't think about when u move to college is that u have to get used to a new city's annoying jingles/radio commercials 😐

— Lex (@LexiKilsdonk) August 20, 2016

…but a well-chosen jingle package can provide powerful reinforcement of a station’s image and identity.

As the markets in which our stations operate continue to evolve, jingles remain some of the most effective tools to keep the positioning of our brands clearly expressed.

Here are some notable new jingle packages released across the Summer months in the USA, UK and Europe.

BBC Radio 1 update by PURE jingles

It’s four years since PURE jingles took-on the challenge of helping BBC Radio 1 sound fresh. The company’s latest work continues to match spoken voice fragments to irregular rhythmic tracks and this time they’ve demonstrated how the IDs can work visually to support the station’s Listen, Watch, Share approach.

Expect to see more collaboration between radio imaging producers and visual design agencies as radio brands increasingly express themselves in video like this:

KTU New York by PURE jingles

PURE jingles shows its lyrical and commercial side with this new package for New York’s biggest rhythmic AC station, 103.5 KTU.

KOST 103.5 by Reelworld

Don’t touch that dial – we’re still at 103.5, but on the West Coast now where LA’s KOST has long been shorthand for smooth Adult Contemporary music radio. This latest package refreshes its sound while respecting the longstanding musical image on which the station’s reputation and audience has been built for decades, initially with JAM Creative Productions and more recently with Reelworld.

Relax FM by Wise Buddah jingles

Where do Russians go to unwind? Well, Relax FM of course. With inspiration from artists like Norah Jones and Jason Mraz this is a great example of how a jingle package can set a mood for a station. The gently rising sonic logo completes the image.

Champagne FM by Reelworld

Light and bubbly like France’s famous sparkling wine, it’s the sound of Reims-based Champagne FM. The female-led vocals give lightness and lift to the body, while the complex notes suggest beguiling fruit flavours with a toasty edge and it’s great with canapes.

Nation Broadcasting network by Ignite jingles

High quality original jingles needn’t be the exclusive preserve of the big networks. Here, cleverly, Nation Broadcasting has combined the needs of its multiple stations while UK-based Ignite jingles has written tracks to accommodate a variety of station names. It’s one way to create an affordable package that delivers network quality sound for six local stations.

Planet Radio by Wise Buddah jingles

Frankfurt’s Planet Radio plays pop, dance, house, hip hop und R’n’B. Two things are striking: you don’t often hear solo female vocal exposed so vividly as in this package. Secondly, the station name is sometimes expressed as simply “Planet” which lends itself to some punchy bookending.

P1 Norway by Reelworld

If you’ve yet to develop a deep expertise in Northern European radio, let me explain the significance of this package with a chart:

When your station delivers 45% of all the nation’s listening there’s a great deal at stake, so Reelworld’s ambition for P1 Norway deserves special merit.

Both production company and client committed to a real modernisation of this national treasure. Six months in the making, the new P1 package is enriched by the 53-piece Norwegian Radio Orchestra which brings a rich organic classiness to Reelworld’s compositions.

Coming soon

There’s more great radio imaging coming soon within Earshot, including interviews with the talent behind Delicious Digital’s new work for BBC Radio 5 Live in the UK, and Reelworld’s package for RTE Ireland’s 2FM.