I'm (Still) Lovin' It: The McDonald's Jingle Saga Continues
Twenty Thousand Hertz
This updated episode of Twenty Thousand Hertz explores the global phenomenon of McDonald's 'I'm Lovin' It' jingle, tracing its origins from
Key takeaways
- The 'I'm Lovin' It' jingle was created through a global competition that received thousands of submissions, highlighting the power of collaborative creativity in branding.
Main topics
- Origin of the 'I'm Lovin' It' jingle
- Global music competition and selection process
Notable quotes
"It's not just playing songs. It's not just playing music. It's that people get touched. It's an international language."
Conclusion
The 'I'm Lovin' It' jingle stands as a testament to how a simple, well
Transcript preview
Speaker 4 (0:00) Hey listeners, making this show costs a lot of money. And the thing that keeps me up at night is how we're going to keep paying for it. So that's where I need your help. If you love this show and believe in our mission of getting more people to care about sound, then the best thing you can do to help is sign up for our premium feed, 20,000 Hertz Plus. And I know this is cliche, but for the price of a cup of coffee, you'll get every episode of 20,000 Hertz without ever hearing a single ad. But don't worry, you'll still get the mystery sound. You'll also get new episodes three whole days early so you can enjoy it over the weekend before anyone else hears it on Monday. And your support will help us to keep bringing these stories about sound to you and to people who can't afford this. To sign up, open up your browser and type in 20k.org slash plus. It only takes a minute. And once you do, instantaneously, you can access your new feed in your podcast app of choice. And if you use Apple Podcasts, all you have to do is just open our show there and tap subscribe. Again, for everyone else, that's 20k.org slash plus. Check, check, check. There we go. Over at DeFacto Sound, we have lots of meetings between Casey, our supervising producer at 20,000 Hertz. Testing one, two. Is that better? And Grace, who runs my post-audio company, DeFacto Sound. Speaker 5 (1:18) Oh, that sounds way better. Yeah. Out Speaker 4 (1:20) of Speaker 5 (1:20) the Speaker 4 (1:20) blue, right at the end of one of our meetings, Casey told me and Grace to start recording. Speaker 3 (1:26) Okay. Thank you for joining on a little mysterious side quest. Speaker 5 (1:31) I love a side quest. Me Speaker 3 (1:33) too. Yeah. And what that side quest is, is a... Fast food slogan challenge. Oh, Speaker 7 (1:42) wow. Oh, Speaker 5 (1:44) my God. Sorry. I'm already blown away by the production valley. Speaker 4 (1:49) Wow. Like how understated you are. How did you have that in your back pocket the entire day where we've just been like slogging through the most boring business conversations? Speaker 5 (2:01) Casey really buried the lead. Speaker 4 (2:03) I want to hear that again. Can you play it one Speaker 5 (2:04) more time? Yeah, exactly. I got to hear it again. Speaker 4 (2:07) Fast Food Slogan Challenge. Speaker 3 (2:11) Wow. Speaker 5 (2:11) Oh Speaker 4 (2:12) my Speaker 5 (2:12) God, incredible. So Speaker 3 (2:13) that's exactly what it sounds like. I'm going to read you various fast food slogans, and you're going to shout out which fast food chain it comes from. Okay. I'll be keeping score as you go. Oh gosh. There are some repeated companies, since these companies often use various slogans. So just because it was guessed once doesn't mean it can't come up again. So it's me against Grace? Yes. No. Speaker 4 (2:35) Oh, I'm sorry, Grace. Speaker 3 (2:36) This is a speed round. I've got a suspenseful music track to play underneath of us to hopefully induce some anxiety while you're guessing. Speaker 4 (2:46) I feel like I've eaten a lot more fast food than Grace. So I have an advantage Speaker 3 (2:51) here. Speaker 4 (2:51) You have the expertise? Yes. Lots of expertise. I Speaker 5 (2:55) grew up in a household where my dad was in advertising, and so I feel a different pressure, which is that I should also know these. Speaker 3 (3:05) They were doing flashcards for little three-year-old Grace with fast food slogans. The dinner Speaker 5 (3:09) table. Exactly. Speaker 3 (3:13) So the track is two and a half minutes long, so that's how long the competition will be. We'll see how many we get through in that time. Wow. Oh my Speaker 5 (3:18) gosh, okay. Are Speaker 3 (3:19) you ready? Yes. I Speaker 5 (3:21) think I'm ready. Speaker 3 (3:24) Number one, Liv Moss. Taco Bell. Yes. Number two, Eat Fresh. Speaker 3 (3:32) Subway? Yes. Oh, dang. Number three, We Have the Meats. Arby's. Speaker 5 (3:37) Arby's? Speaker 3 (3:38) Number four, Have It Your Way. Speaker 5 (3:41) McDonald's? No. McDonald's? Nope. Speaker 4 (3:42) Have It Your Way. Have Speaker 5 (3:43) It Your Way. Wendy's? Speaker 4 (3:45) Nope. Have It Your Way. Oh, God. Speaker 5 (3:48) Oh, man. I don't Speaker 4 (3:49) know. Pass. I think it's really obvious. Speaker 3 (3:50) Another large burger company. Speaker 5 (3:53) Burger King? Speaker 3 (3:53) Yes. Oh. Yes. Number five, We Do Chicken Right. Chick-fil-A? Chick-fil-A? Speaker 4 (4:00) Popeyes or Popeyes? The other one. Speaker 3 (4:04) Churches? Speaker 4 (4:05) KFC? Yes. Oh, Speaker 3 (4:07) sweet. Number six, better ingredients, better pizza. Papa John's. Papa John's. Yes. Number seven, think outside the bun. Taco Bell? Yes. Taco Speaker 5 (4:16) Bell also? Number Speaker 3 (4:16) eight, Speaker 5 (4:16) where's Speaker 3 (4:17) the beef? Speaker 5 (4:18) Also Arby's? Wait, Arby's? Speaker 3 (4:21) Where's the beef? I don't know. Pass. Speaker 5 (4:24) McDonald's. Wendy's. Yes, Speaker 3 (4:26) you got it. Wendy's. Number nine. It's finger licking good. KFC. Speaker 5 (4:29) KFC. Speaker 3 (4:30) Number 10. Pizza Pizza. Little Caesars. Yes. Little Speaker 5 (4:34) Caesars. Speaker 3 (4:35) Number 11. Head for the border. Taco Bell? Yep. Taco Bell? Number 12. Eat more chicken. Chick-fil-A. Speaker 4 (4:42) Yes. Oh, Speaker 5 (4:43) Chick Speaker 3 (4:43) -fil-A Speaker 4 (4:43) with the cows. Number Speaker 3 (4:43) 13. Hot eats, cool treats. No Speaker 4 (4:46) idea. Speaker 5 (4:47) Oh, is it ice cream of some kind? Speaker 3 (4:50) Yeah, I think this place is more known for their cool treats than their hot eats, but they have both. Culver's? Speaker 5 (4:55) TCBY? It's a fast food chain that has food and dessert drinks. Speaker 4 (5:00) Dairy Queen? Speaker 3 (5:00) Yes, Dairy Queen. Number 14. If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face. Wow. That Speaker 4 (5:08) is a great one, but I have no idea. I'm on this. It was a campaign Speaker 3 (5:13) for their messy burgers in the early 2000s. Wendy's? Nope. No idea. Speaker 5 (5:19) McDonald's, Burger King. The name includes Speaker 3 (5:21) the title of someone who's like the younger person with the same name as their parent. Speaker 5 (5:26) Oh, wait. Carl's Jr.? Correct. Carl's Jr.? Number Speaker 3 (5:29) 15. We speak fish. Captain Speaker 4 (5:32) D's? Speaker 5 (5:33) Nope. Speaker 3 (5:33) Nope. Speaker 5 (5:34) Long Speaker 3 (5:34) John Silver's. Yes. Yeah. Number 16. It's What You Crave. Speaker 4 (5:40) The Electra, uh, Idiocracy, Electrolytes, uh. Speaker 3 (5:43) Early 2000s. Idiocracy. Okay. Speaker 4 (5:47) Sounds like we're done. Well done. Speaker 5 (5:49) Oh my God. Can Speaker 4 (5:51) we do that for another 30 minutes and just call it the episode? Yeah. Speaker 3 (5:56) So if you're curious, the last one, it's what you crave. Think of an early 2000s goofy comedy that included the name of this place in the title of the film. Speaker 4 (6:07) It's what you crave? Speaker 3 (6:08) Yes, the name of the fast food restaurant was in the title of this comedy film. Speaker 5 (6:13) Of the movie? Wow. Speaker 3 (6:15) The legal Speaker 4 (6:16) involved. Speaker 3 (6:17) I Speaker 5 (6:17) have no idea. About Speaker 3 (6:18) two people going to this Speaker 5 (6:22) fast food place. Oh, um, um, uh, Harold and Kumar go to White Castle? White Speaker 7 (6:27) Castle. White Castle? Yeah. Speaker 5 (6:29) Wow. Speaker 7 (6:29) Oh my gosh. Harold and Kumar go to White Castle. Speaker 3 (6:35) All right, let me add up the scores. Dallas, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. And Grace with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7. You got it, Dallas. Speaker 4 (6:49) I don't think I'm proud of this. Sorry. I am literally carrying all of those still in my midsection. Well, it was worth it for this moment of success right now. Speaker 5 (7:03) It all led to this. Speaker 4 (7:04) Wow. How about that? I never win these things. Speaker 3 (7:08) Well, I thought this would be a great way to introduce our story about what has to be the most famous and successful fast food slogan slash jingle of all time. which is, of course, I'm Lovin' It from McDonald's. Ba-da-ba-ba-ba. Speaker 5 (7:21) I'm lovin' it. Speaker 3 (7:22) We first aired it back in 2021, but we now have it updated with some new information, including a totally ridiculous hip-hop fast food feud. Oh, Speaker 5 (7:32) my God. Try to say that Speaker 3 (7:32) five times fast. Hip-hop fast food feud. Hip-hop fast food feud. Hip-hop fast food feud. Speaker 4 (7:37) This also was