Why Oscar Mayer is re-airing classic jingle ad

“My bologna has a first name, it’s O-S-C-A-R.” You probably know the rest—but for those who don’t, Oscar Mayer is bringing back the original ad in which the slogan debuted as part of a collaboration with Instacart. The spot, which first aired in 1974, ran during Thursday’s Chicago Bears-Detroit Lions football game on CBS. The airing is part of a 50th-anniversary celebration of the ad, which features little Andy Lambros sitting on a dock singing about his bologna sandwich. While an Oscar Mayer marketing executive wrote the jingle and J Walter Thompson was behind the original ad, the comeback was orchestrated by Johannes Leonardo and The Kitchen, the in-house agency of Kraft Heinz, which owns Oscar Mayer. The ad was left unchanged except for the addition of the text “SingToPay.com.” The URL directs to a website that shows the Instacart and Oscar Mayer logos and teases what appears to singing-related contest to be revealed on Dec. 2. It reads, in part: “While you wait, gather your crew and brush up on those iconic lyrics, ‘cause Thanksgiving is the perfect excuse for a B-O-L-O-G-N-A sing-along. Don’t miss a beat, and we’ll see you Monday!” The site also included links to Oscar Mayer bologna purchase pages on Instacart. Kraft Heinz declined to reveal details of the program. The ad will run again on TV today during the Minnesota-Wisconsin college football game on CBS. It will also run on social media, including Meta, TikTok and Pinterest. “This is a rare chance to breathe new life into an iconic commercial while using the product to create a fun connection across generations that often don’t understand each other,” Lex Beltrone, executive creative director at Johannes Leonardo, said in a statement. Oscar Mayer has not used the jingle in ads since 2005. Previous versions have included the bologna song being sung by children. A 1980 spot shows three blonde siblings sitting on a porch swing singing the song. The jingle was featured in a 1990s ad showing kids and parents singing the tune. Of course, this isn’t Oscar Mayer’s only catchy ad— “I Wish I Was An Oscar Mayer Weiner” started airing in the 1960s. Oscar Mayer moved away from specific product jingles in 2010 after naming McGarryBowen its agency to focus on its overall business. Johannes Leonardo has held the creative account since 2020. The reprised bologna spot comes as nostalgia marketing continues to be a popular tactic with brands either re-airing or drawing from original ads. For instance, Tootsie Pop has been running its 1969 ad “How Many Licks Does It Take to Get to the Center of a Tootsie Pop?” on streaming. Earlier this year, PepsiCo’s Life cereal brand created a new version of its iconic “Mikey Likes It” ad as a musical spot and a new tagline, “I really love my life.” Also read: Why brand historians are CMOs' new best friends Oscar Mayer’s retro play comes as Kraft Heinz deals with sluggish sales trends, including for Oscar Mayer. Kraft Heinz’s North America net sales declined 3.4% in the the third quarter ending Sept. 30. In an Oct. 30 presentation to investors, the company listed Oscar Mayer, Lunchables, Kraft Mac and Cheese, Kraft Mayo and Capri Sun as being responsible for 80% of the decline in sales. The same presentation noted that Kraft Heinz plans to “build a strong connection with consumers to drive conversion” to turn around sales. Analysts have noted that the Boar’s Head listeria outbreak may have had a negative halo effect on Oscar Mayer sales. Earlier this year, the Wall Street Journal reported that Kraft Heinz was considering selling off the Oscar Mayer brand. The brand could sell Kraft Heinz an estimated $3 billion, according to reports. Read Ad Age’s Best of 2024 stories here

Why Oscar Mayer is re-airing classic jingle ad

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