Top tune is recipe for success in Jamie's ads

A TUNE used in a TV campaign by supermarket Sainsbury's has topped a poll of the most performed songs in advertising, it was revealed today.

Light And Day by The Polyphonic Spree, the soundtrack to the store's Try Something New Today adverts with chef Jamie Oliver, beat Nina Simone's Ain't Got No/I Got Life from the Muller yoghurt adverts to the top spot.

The survey carried out by PRS for Music, the organisation which collects royalties on behalf of songwriters, revealed the most frequently used songs in adverts over the last five years.

The classical piece Eliza's Aria by Elena Kats-Chernin, made popular by Lloyds TSB's For The Journey campaign, came third. It was followed by Take That's Shine, used by Morrisons supermarket, and Left Bank Two, performed by The Noveltones and used by Waitrose to promote its Essentials range.

Successful advertising campaigns have led some songs to become synonymous with the products they are used to sell, such as Hamlet cigars and Bach's Air from Suite 3 in D major. And for many, Dvorak's Symphony No 9 in E Minor (From the New World) will be forever associated with Hovis bread.

Roger Greenaway, who co-wrote I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing, the tune used in a memorable campaign by Coca-Cola, said: "Music makes an emotional impact upon people and a well-crafted song can lock in the listeners' mind for life, making it a powerful marketing tool.

"There's a split between brands that use specific jingles and those that prefer to sample well-known music by popular bands but one thing is clear – the right song can create a positive association to a brand – gold dust for marketers."