Getting Them to Sing Along

One of Aldrich's favorite jingles (he didn't write it) was for White Hen Pantry, a national convenience store. The jingle's verses are almost a patter, listing the many common items one can buy at the store. The chorus goes: "When you run out / run out to White Hen. / When you run out of anything / run out to White Hen." However, the second time the chorus happens, the music cuts off and the commercial ends with "When you run out / run out to."

Aldrich thinks it's inevitable that a person listening to the jingle will stick in the missing words ("White Hen") in a sing-song voice. It's a clever twist because, according to Aldrich, if you can get someone to sing that missing piece, you've gained a customer -- someone who's going to remember the name of the business and go there.