In this section, I will be looking at the different jingles that come with every perk. There are two versions of each of the perks, the original variant and one that is more jazzy and was specialised for a certain location. I will be looking into the lyrics and thinking of visualisations for what I could use for my images.
Juggernog
Lyrics:
When you need some help to get by,
something to make you feel strong.
Reach for Juggernog tonight,
sugar seduction delight!
When you need to feel big and strong,
reach for Juggernog tonight!
This jingle has a very nice swing to it. Like many of these jingles, it is influenced by very 1950-1960’s style jazz. This is further pronounced through the use of the trombone, a harpsichord-adjacent keyboard sound and a swinging ride cymbal and snare drum beat. The vocals feel very reminiscent of classics such as Mister Sandman by The Chordettes, with a pleasant harmony of women singing. If I were to think of a visual style for this, it would take a lot of inspiration from 1950’s pinup style Coca-Cola adverts such as Example 1, Example 2 and Example 3.
Lyrics:
When you need some help to get by,
something to make you feel strong.
Reach for Juggernog tonight,
sugar seduction delight!
When you need to feel big and strong,
reach for Juggernog tonight!
This version is more of a jazzy and cluttered feel than the other version, but it feels much more polished. It substitutes the harmony of female voices for just one that cuts through the instrumentation while still remaining soft, reminiscent of a more Madonna esque era. It feels more bouncy and playful than the other version. The brass also feels stronger, mainly due to trumpet filling the higher tones instead of covering the mid range like it was in the previous version. The faster pace also makes it seem more upbeat to give a better dance style as opposed to the more slow swinging pace of the previous version, more akin to the charleston, a dance popularised in the early 1920’s in a song of the same name. If I was to visualise this, it would be closer to a 1920/1930’s style burlesque performance.
Double Tap
Lyrics:
Cowboys can’t shoot slow or they’ll end up below.
When they need some help, they reach for the root beer shelf (Yee-haw!).
Cowboys can’t shoot slow, or they’ll end up below,
when they need some help, they reach for the root beer shelf.
YA THIRSTY PARTNER!?
This jingle is a very stereotypical cowboy style song, sounding like something you would find in a jukebox in a wild west saloon. This uses a typical snare and tom backbeat with a ragtime piano triplet and a simple bassline to create the main beat. This is paired with a gruff male voice and some lighter female backing harmonies. The backing harmonies are also saying the name of the perk, “Double Tap”. The lyrics speak to the effects of the drink and how it makes them shoot faster, also saying that they “reach for the root beer shelf” which is a very stereotypical American style drink associated with cowboys. If I was to visualise this, it would follow some stereotypical cowboy themes such as rodeos, lassos and cowboy hats.
Lyrics:
Cowboys can’t move slow, they’ll end up dead or old,
when they need some help, they reach out for the shelf.
Cowboys can’t shoot slow, they’ll end up dead below,
when they need some help, they reach out for the shelf.
Have no fear, the Double Tap Root Beer,
get all the damage done,
Double Tap Root Beer, will double damage fun.
Oh Yeah, Get Thirsty.
This jingle is more calming and slower than the original version. It uses a guitar for the chords and bass with a brush drum backing. There is also some brass instruments used for harmonies and occasional syncopation. The male leading voice is less gruff and more smooth, reminiscent of Johnny Cash. There are also female voices features like in the previous version that use the same chant of the perk name “Double Tap”, although much slower due to the decreased tempo. As opposed to being more high energy like the previous song, this feels more like an older gentleman reaching for his 6th root beer on a lazy Saturday. Because of this, I would visualise this more calmly than the other, with an old man on a rocking chair as the main theme with some light cowboy imagery.
Conclusion
Overall, I was able to find some themes that I think will be very useful when it comes to creating my final products. For Juggernog, I will be using a very saturated 1950’s style Coca Cola advert feel reminiscent of music from around that time. For Double Tap, I will be using a more modern look with cowboy themes, such as a cowboy hat, a western bar and a noose.