RIP, Les Waas – the Man Behind the Mr. Softee Jingle

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You can hear it in your head already, can't you? The simple mention of Mr. Softee brings that perennial jingle to mind in an instant, without even having to think about it. (But just for fun, or in the very unusual case that you don't know it, you can listen to the jingle here.)

So I was sad to read in the NY Times earlier this year of the passing of Les Waas, the man behind that immensely catchy jingle.
At the same time, I was delighted to read about his life and career. His story is worth sharing and I encourage you to read it:

Les Waas, Adman, Dies at 94; Gave Mister Softee a Soundtrack

Les Waas

The Times rightly identified Mr. Wass' jingle as a "herald of summer" for those in the city or others growing up in suburbia, like me, who heard the ice cream truck down the street or around the block. "It is the textbook embodiment of an earworm: once heard, never forgotten... a totem of American popular culture – revered, reviled..."

For me? Revered. I’m a pretty big fan of pop culture – and advertising in particular. I've always been enamored with advertising icons (friends like the Pillsbury Doughboy, Tony the Tiger, etc.). Their blend of cartoon and commerce somehow really resonated with me from an early age. The great ones endure forever. I think Mister Softee is one of the great ones.

Ad icons!

For a kid of my generation, Mister Softee elicits joyful memories of suburban bliss. There were three factors working in his favor, to land him in that permanent space in my brain reserved for fun, joyful memories and associations:

• The character himself: How can you not love that ice cream cone head? The bow tie, the red, white & blue American colors, the ever-present smile?
  
• The product itself: What's not to love? Soft-serve in a cone (my usual pick, with chocolate sprinkles or jimmies), milk shakes and countless other frozen goodies, delivered right to your door, or at least somewhere down your street, always at the right time and always delightfully unexpected.
  
• And what made us aware of his arrival was factor #3: That iconic, unforgettable jingle: It will forever be locked in my memory and will always elicit that surprise reaction when heard: a mix of excitement, delight, and need to drop everything and run down the street. It's what modern-day texters and social media practitioners call FOMO – the fear of missing out. If you don’t respond quickly when you hear the siren call of Mister Softee’s jingle, you will miss out on getting your frosty treat. And there's not much sadder than that on a summer day.

Kids line up forever to get their Softee fix

That jingle stopped ballgames. Interrupted meals. Mended fights between neighborhood kids. Slammed through boring summer days with a moment of excitement.

Of course the jingle was created by an adman, and from Philadelphia, no less. It was written for radio spots back in the 60s, which – being a former radio guy – makes me even happier.

Today, I don’t hear the jingle very often in the city. In fact, I think there have been legal issues with playing it. But I still see those familiar trucks parked on the streets and it still brings a smile. (Although I was unpleasantly surprised to read about the soft-serve turf wars that Mr. Softee has been engaged in for a few years here in NYC. Disturbing to think of such a fun, feel-good piece of pop culture facing such bitter rivalries and playing nasty with the competition.)

Mr. Softee, right around the corner from my NYC office on the day I wrote this! He's everywhere!

Mr. Softee still visits my suburban neighborhood at least a few times each summer, with that jingle playing in full force – generating, as the Times story so wonderfully described it, instant Pavlovian responses of “salivation or shrieking – sometimes both at once.” Not a bad legacy in the ad world: to create something so iconically linked with a brand as to be forever embedded in the culture. So congrats, Mr. Waas – I salute you and will remember and honor you every time I hear that familiar tune playing in the streets.