Nylon Studios recently reimagined the well-known TV commercial jingle “Happy Little Vegemites” for agency JWT.
Vegemite, the popular Australian savory food spread made from yeast extract, aired its first advertising jingle back in 1954. The catchy, drum-beat tune rang out across Australia, and quickly became an iconic advertising classic. This new spot combines a more simplified group-sung version of the song against nostalgic, black and white imagery pumped up with bursts of color.
Nylon executive producer Karla Henwood says, "We wanted to conjure sounds which remind people of the long history most Aussies have with vegemite from their childhood, while emphasizing how it remains a part of our culture today."
She continues, “Our creative goal was to revitalize the original vintage sound, which was very military and marching band. We introduced some sonic elements from scraggy 60s pop arrangements and an indie sound. The idea was to keep it raw and scruffy but still shiny, similar to the Where the Wild Things Are and Juno soundtracks.”
During production, Nylon Studios collaborated closely with JWT creatives, experimenting with different musical styles to complement the visuals. After considering a more formal orchestra and celebrity vocal talent, they found that the spot called for something different - which composer Jonathan Dreyfus describes as “a more communal, folksy sound, and less of a concert piece.”
To produce the vocals Nylon brought in many combinations of singers for the group-by-group mash-up heard on the track.
Henwood concludes, “The most exciting part for the studio was simply working with such an iconic jingle. Most of us have known that song since we’ve known words, so working on it was a massive buzz. When you approach a well-known piece like this, where so many great composers have worked on it, it is important to take on board what came before without letting it overpower what you want in a fresh, new arrangement.”
For more info visit www.nylonstudios.com
