How a former Charlottetown teacher started crafting the Island's catchiest jingles

You've likely heard Islander Mike Stratton's catchy jingles, from Buns & Things Bakery to No Frills, but what goes into crafting an earworm?

Stratton has been working on creating catchy radio and television advertisement tunes for the last decade. Recently he finished his 50th jingle. 

"Every company name has a melody somewhere in it and I've just got to find it," Stratton said. "It's in the syllables, it's in how you say it." 

Finding the melody

While he's been recording music since he was 14, it wasn't until 12 years ago that he pitched his first jingle.

He said it comes down to creating something that sticks with people, something they'll want to sing the whole day through. 

"I actually had the melody for Buns & Things for another company's name ... and they didn't really go for it. And so I thought, 'Hold up now, that could be perfect for Buns & Things." And the rest is history. 

Tricky but rewarding 

In his car, which is equipped with a portable recorder, he makes the magic happen. Stratton said once he's got the company's name and tagline he takes a long drive and just begins singing tunes to figure out what might work.

Creating a condensed 30-second jingle can be tricky. But Stratton said he's always up for the challenge his work presents.

Before a life of jingles, Stratton was a teacher at Sherwood Elementary in Charlottetown. He decided to retire about two years ago. 

While he enjoyed his time spent educating Island students he's happy to be able to dedicate time to writing jingles.

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