What is the Worth of an Earworm? The Folgers Jingle Goes on Sale

We all know that one jingle that lives rent-free in our brain. Some people can’t help but shout “Uh-Oh, Spaghetti-O’s!” when they drop their groceries. Others cannot stop themselves from busting into a rendition of “Reese’s Puffs” at the drop of a hat. It makes you wonder, what is the value of effective earworms? For an answer to that question, we look to the Folgers jingle.

The ever iconic jingle “The Best Part of Waking Up” has accompanied Folgers ads since the 80’s. After the original writer cashed out their portion of the royalties, they became available to purchase at a public auction. For those who are unfamiliar with royalties, they are essentially payments made to an owner of any property (in this case a song). There are no requirements of the owner—they just earn a percentage of the profits generated by their work. Once the jingle’s royalties were made available to the public, the race began.

Bidding for the Folgers jingle was quick and intense. Over a 3-day period, the bidding reached a final price of over $90,000. The winner of the auction is now officially a partial-owner of the Folgers jingle. Big brand events like this create value in the same way that a jingle does. Discussion and press around the auction will bring people back to that jingle and the earworm continues to do its work. On the bright side, it’s a wonderful tune to hum in the morning.