You’d be forgiven if you can’t hum the 18th-century Cumbrian folk song “Do Ye Ken John Peel.” But in 1942, a version of that tune, reworked with lyrics about Pepsi-Cola, was the most recognized melody in America.Three years earlier, two men walked into the office of Pepsi-Cola’s president, carrying a phonograph. They played a demo of what would become one of America’s earliest advertising jingles. To the tune of “Do Ye Ken John Peel,” it went: Pepsi-Cola hits the spot / Twelve full ounces, that’s a lot / Twice as much for a nickel, too. Pepsi-Cola is the drink for you. The jingle became a hit. People played it on jukeboxes around the country; it was translated into 55 languages. Electronic chimes atop a Pepsi-Cola plant in New York rang the first seven notes on the half hour. Other companies recognized the power of hummable commercials, and there were soon… ...[TheTopNews] Read More.
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