A jingle is a short tune used in advertising; it contains one or more hooks (it’s a musical idea which often is a short riff, passage or phrase) which helps promote explicitly of a product or service. Jingles are hummable, catchy little slogans. They are typically a form of sound branding. Because we can hum them, they are phrased with catchy words which can be remembered easily. Jingles live a longer life. Though they seem trifling, they are successful at getting us to remember a product, to buy the product and even make us think we need the product to be accepted or successful.

The first jingle was born in 1926 in Minneapolis, Minn. when an a cappella group played a quartet in praise of “Wheaties” – a General Mills breakfast cereal. Executives at General Mills were actually about to withdraw Wheaties from the market, but when they noticed a point in its popularity in the regions where the jingle was aired, they changed their minds. The company decided to air the jingle nationally on the radio, and sales went through the roof. Eighty years later, Wheaties is still a household staple in kitchens across the globe.

Since then, jingles have become an important part of any advertising campaign. Some jingles will never die, and they have become a part of our lives. Effective jingles have the capacity to build tremendous brand equity of a product. A successful jingle promotes a positive image, making the consumer more likely to want to purchase the product.

Music can fulfill several tasks when it is used in advertisements. The appealing and entertaining aspect of music helps making an advertisement more interesting. Captivating jingles can make the commercials attractive and engage attention of viewers. From this point of view music need not necessarily manifest any special affinity with a particular product or service in order to play an effective and useful function. The music functions more as bridge between viewer and advertisement. Another basic attribute of music is to support an advertisements structure and continuity. Music adds dramatic approach to a TV or radio commercial. The narrative of the commercial becomes more meaningful with the music. Jingles are also called ‘Singing commercials’ and they have made a self-contained genre.

Look at the lingering jingle of Nirma washing powder; it is one of the most famous jingles. It’s been years down the line but the jingle of Nirma is still jingling in the ears of Indian People. It was of no importance whether the detergent gave clothes the “Dhood si Safedi” or not. But the feisty and spirited ad made a marvel out of the brand. Think of Nirma and the picture of a little girl twirling around with her white frock cannot be forgotten. This jingle has become so familiar in our minds. Nirma took on the might of giant multinationals and wrote a new chapter in the Indian corporate history!

Jingles have the poetic and emotional appeal; it scores over logical, informational advertisements. I think this happens because music can provide a message without the customer consciously noticing it. For providing rational facts in the same time “mixtures of speech and song provide advertisers with opportunities for both logical and factual appeals. Music can therefore function as a nonverbal identifier for certain groups with different musical taste.

Do you know that in sixties and seventies companies wishing to advertise on Radio used external radio stations like Radio Ceylon and Radio Goa (then Goa was under Portuguese control). Radio Ceylon was a popular station as it aired film songs, which was banned on All India Radio (AIR) because the then Information & Broadcasting Minister Mr. Balkrishna Vishwanath Keskar – who thoroughly disapproved of film music. However, in 1965 when Ms. Indira Gandhi was Information & Broadcasting Minister under the Prime Minister Mr. Lal Bahadur Shastri, she changed things. In 1966, Ms. Indira Gandhi became the Prime Minister and she gave serious attention to the use of Radio as a mass media. In 1967, the government accepted the recommendations of an expert committee under the former Director of AIR – Krishna Chandra Sharma. And ads started broadcasting on radio which further saw a spurt in sweet and melodious radio jingles.

Even today the jingle “tandurasti ki raksha karta hai Lifebuoy, lifebuoy hai jahan tandurusti hai wahan” rings in our ears. Similarly ‘Utterly, Butterly, Delicious AMUL’ was another great success.

In the seventies India witnessed a lot of new agencies being set up, including the Mumbai-based Rediffusion, Trikaya Grey and Chaitra and the Chennai-based R. K. Swamy & Associates. Reliance Group setup Mudra Communications in Ahmedabad. In 1977, Doordarshan started accepting ads. It changed the life of Indian ads radically and brought a qualitative leap in making of ads. I still remember the first TV ad was a still for the Topaz brand of razor blades from the house of Malhotras and the first ad prepared for TV was of Jenson & Nicholson modeled by Dalip Tahil and Maya Alagh arguing over the color of their bedroom. This ad was created by Rediffusion. There were only 3 TV Programs on Doordarshan. I still recall we never got irritated when in between the programs ads were played. The programs were: CHITRAHAAR, PHOOL KHILE HAIN GULSHAN, GULSHAN and Sunday Evening Feature Film. And, due to TV ads, lesser known brands were marketed with ease all over the nation.

And then in early eighties the Hawkins Pressure Cooker jingle sung by Preeti Sagar (My heart is beating, Film Julie singer) the jingle words were “Hawkins ki seeti baji, khushboo hi khushboo udi, Mazedaar, lazzedaar khaana hai tayyar, aji khaana hai tayyar! Murg Musallam, Tomayyto Soup, Matar Pulao, Maaki Daal, Kheer aur Dum Aloooooo Har vyanjan swadisht banaaye, minton mein jhatpat pakaaye Hawkins! Hawkins! Hawkins Pressure Cooker! Every Indian household thought of buying the Hawkins Pressure Cooker.

Alyque Padamsee of Lintas was approached by Lever Brothers to write an ad film for HAMAM. He drafted script showing a bikini model bathing with HAMAM under a waterfall. This idea was absolutely rejected by Lever Brothers considering that Indian housewives are restricted to kitchen, and they rarely go out for a picnic or a movie. Padamsee then made a simple ad “chehre ki sundertaa ko nikharta HAMAM”. See how ads show the transformation in society, its culture and philosophy – time passed and Lever team once again told Alyque Padamsee to write another ad film for a new soap – LIRIL. Alyque took out the old and rejected script from his cupboard, changed the title from HAMAM to LIRIL and rest is the history. Within 10 years the Indian housewife was elated from her mundane surroundings to a more confident and earning woman. The Liril ad showcased the modern and liberated Indian woman to the world. It was the hottest ad in the early 80s. Which showed the LIRIL girl drenched under the falls wearing only bikini? The ad was all about waterfalls, abundant water and the girl splashing about. The background score was “la…la la la laaa..”. The la,la, la notation just went about with a hummable tune. The first Liril ad was a masterpiece of with unmatched caliber; it was a product of Alyque Padamsee’s imagination. It was shot in Kodaikanal at a waterfall a little beyond Guna caves. LIRIL brand became largest selling brand of soap in Luxury Soap Segment. Both men and women used it!

I recall this sweet little jingle of Bajaj Electricals. It seems Bajaj Electricals made a historical success by giving a fight to Philips bulbs with their jingle “Jab mein chhota baccha tha, badi shararat karta tha, meri chori pakdi jaati,…aur roshnee karta Bajaj” the attractiveness of this jingle is haunting. The ad shows a kid hiding and reading comics, then a young man sneaking in room from window and at the last shot of an old man sneaking into the fridge for some sweet.  The changeover in pitch and tone from a childish jangle to the old man’s rattle is so fascinating in this jingle.

Some of the older jingles can still bring a smile on our faces. They are inseparable from our lives. They have become iconic and like diamonds they will remain with us forever.

Conventional perception says that there’s a direct connection between our IQ and our ability to succeed in life. But there have been many studies that show IQ only accounts for about 20% of success. The major determinants of success are social and emotional intelligence. Yet there’s very little emphasis put on developing other intelligences. Sometimes people assess new situations and respond carefully and considerately, but frequently they run on autopilot, reacting unconsciously based on habit. In part it’s because the human brain is wired to form and follow neural pathways. Left unconscious, these patterns can inhibit optimal performance because they are a generalized response rather than one carefully tailored to the current situation.

Howard Gardener – a Professor at Harvard in 1991 has identified seven distinct intelligences. This theory has emerged from cognitive research and documents the extent to which students possess different kinds of minds and therefore learn, remember, perform, and understand in different ways.

The idea of multiple intelligences is important because it allows educators to identify differing strengths and weaknesses in students. It also allows the educators to concentrate on the of the student’s interests instead of correlating the child’s marks (academic performance) to his/her intelligence. Gardner’s multiple intelligence models provide a great alternative to the popular measurable IQ method.

This model has challenged the educational system which assumes that everyone can learn the same materials in the same way and that a standardized, universal measure is adequate to test student’s learning. Universally, educational system is heavily biased toward linguistic modes of instruction and assessment and, to a somewhat lesser degree, toward logical-quantitative modes as well. This study threw light on the fact that students learn in ways that are identifiably distinctive and are inborn characteristics. The broad gamut of students – and perhaps the society as a whole – would be better served if disciplines could be presented in a numbers of ways and learning could be accessed through a variety of means.

Howard Gardener’s learning styles are as follows:

Visual-Spatial: These people think in terms of physical space. They are aware of their environments. They like to draw, do jigsaw puzzles, read maps, and they daydream a lot. They are good at drawings and can be taught through drawings and designs; such as   verbal and physical similes. Their educational tools include models, graphics, charts, photographs, drawings, 3-D modeling, video, videoconferencing, television, multimedia, texts with pictures/charts/graphs. They are sensitive to relationship between line, color, shape and form. They have an ability to mentally rotate objects. They make good graphic artists, chess players, draughtsman, architects and map-makers etc.

Kinesthetic: They use the body effectively, like a dancer or a surgeon. These people have keen sense of body awareness. They like movement, making things, they are sensitive to touch. They communicate well through body language and they learn well through physical activities, hands-on learning, and are good at acting out, role playing etc.  They would rather touch than just look, they have great motor skills, they enjoy outdoors, they like to work with hands, and they can’t sit still for a long time. Sports and exhilarating experiences are their favorites. They are active people. They make a good athlete, dancer, mechanic, actor, physical education instructor, craftsman, Gardner, physio-therapist, carpenter, firefighter etc.

Musical: These people show sensitivity to rhythm and sound. They love music and are sensitive to sounds in their environments. They may study better with music in the background. They can be taught by spiraling lessons into lyrics, speaking rhythmically, and tapping out at times. Their educational tools include musical instruments, music on radio, stereo, CD-ROM, multimedia. Due to their good understanding of rhythm, they can easily memorize songs. They often sing, whistle or tap a song or tune; they are talented with an instrument. They can easily tell when a note is off-key. They often have a song running through their head; have an unquenchable passion for music. They make good musicians, singer, conductor, composer, songwriter, music teacher, music director, choir director, and record producer.

Interpersonal:They are good atunderstanding and interacting with others. These students learn through interaction. They have many friends; they have empathy for others, they are often street smarts. They can be taught through group activities, seminars, and dialogues. Their educational tools include the telephone, audio conferencing, attention from the instructor, video conferencing, writing, computer conferencing, E-mail etc. They are empathetic, extroverted, they enjoy social events. They love groups and crowds. They make good diplomats, leaders, managers, politicians, clergy, social workers, receptionist, sales representative, counselor, child care coach etc.

Linguistic: They use words effectively. These learners have highly developed auditory skills and often think in words. They like reading, playing word games, making poetry or stories. They can be taught by encouraging saying and seeing words, read books etc. Their educational tools include computers, games, multimedia, books, tape recorders, and lecture. They easily notice grammatical mistakes; they often speak of what they have read. They like to use “fancy” words, they love scrabble game. They cherish their book collection, they easily remember quotes and famous sayings, and they are at ease with puns and rhymes. They are multi-linguistic- often good at multiple languages. They always enjoyed language class. They make good writer (any type), editor, public speaker, preacher, teacher, journalist, broadcaster, tutor, actor etc.

Logical/Mathematical: These students are good atreasoning, calculating, conceptualizing, abstracting patterns and relationship among them is a play for these people. They like to experiment, solve puzzles, and ask cosmic questions. They can be taught through logic games, investigations, and mysteries. They need to learn and form concepts before they can deal with details. Math is always in their mind. They are good at Good at strategy games; they have a mind “like a computer. They enjoy science experiments; well at organize things by category. They are abstract thinkers; looking out for rational explanations. They make good scientist, mathematician, lawyer/attorney, doctor, accountant, bookkeeper, computer programmer, researcher, financial Planner.

Intrapersonal: These understand their personal interests and goals. These learners tend to shy away from others. They’re in tune with their inner feelings; they have wisdom, intuition and motivation, as well as a strong will, confidence and opinions. They can be taught through independent study and introspection. Their educational tools include books, creative materials, diaries, privacy and time. They are the most independent among other learners. They are introverted, and prefer working alone. They are philosophical, self-aware, perfectionists, often thinks of self-employment. They enjoys journaling, they are also intuitive, independent, spends time thinking and reflecting. They make good psychologist, philosopher, writer, and theologian.

Multimedia tool of learning: It may seem impossible to teach to all learning styles. However, as we move into using a mix of media or multimedia, the task becomes easier. As we understand learning styles, it becomes apparent why multimedia appeals to learners and why a mix of media is more effective. It satisfies the many types of learning preferences that one person may embody or that a class embodies.

A review of the literature shows that a variety of decisions must be made when choosing media that is appropriate to learning style.

Visual media help students acquire concrete concepts, such as object identification, spatial relationship, or motor skills where words alone are inept. Verbal sound and non-verbal sound such as music are necessary to present a stimulus for recalling or sound recognition. Audio narration is recommended for poor readers. Motion is used to depict human performance so that learners can copy the movement. Several models assert that motion may be unnecessary and provides decision aid questions based upon objectives. Visual media which portrays motion is best to show psychomotor or cognitive domain expectations by showing the skill as a model against which students can measure their performance. Decisions on color display are required if an object’s color is relevant to what is being learned.

Last but not the least, Realia are tangible, real objects which are not models and are useful to teach motor and cognitive skills involving unfamiliar objects. Realia are appropriate for use with individuals or groups and may be situation based. Realia may be used to present information realistically but it may be equally important that the presentation corresponds with the way learners represent information internally.

As the saying goes – it takes all kind of people to make the world go around.

]]> https://drvidyahattangadi.com/what-are-the-7-distinct-intelligences-by-howard-gardener/feed/ 0