Barry Manilow jokingly refers to himself as the “jingle king” of the advertising world, with his early work in commercials serving as a stepping stone to his illustrious music career.
But unlike so many musicians who would prefer that people forget (or never know about) their jingle writing days, Manilow embraces it, even playing medleys of these most famous jingles in concert.
Jingles like:
Band-Aid’s “I Am Stuck on Band-Aid, ‘Cause Band-Aid’s Stuck on Me”
State Farm’s “Like a Good Neighbor, State Farm Is There”
McDonald’s “You Deserve a Break Today”
Stridex’s “Give Your Face Something to Smile About”
Dr. Pepper’s “Be a Pepper”
Pepsi’s “Feelin’ Free”
KFC’s “Grab a Bucket of Chicken”
And his fans love it.
I am constantly, relentlessly, emphatically urging leaders and business owners, advertisers, marketers, salespeople, public speakers, and everyone else to do what others are afraid to do.
Find new ground.
Be different.
Zig when others are zagging,
Manilow does this by embracing his past, and his fans love him for it. Rather than being afraid of accusations of “selling out,” Manilow knows that these jingles are a part of Americans’ lives, and he is happy to let them know he is behind each of them.
While others hide from their forays into advertising, Manilow highlighted it.
While others are afraid, Manilow is bold.
Many of us could take a lesson from his willingness to stand where others will not.
