If you've ever caught yourself humming a bread jingle in the supermarket or reciting an electronics store tune without thinking, chances are Geoff Ayling was behind it.
For more than fifty years, his work slipped seamlessly into Australian life, transforming advertising into something unforgettable.
Now, one of the nation’s great creative forces has passed away, leaving behind melodies etched into cultural memory.
Geoff Ayling, who wrote thousands of jingles alongside his wife Jenny, died at Gosford Hospital on Wednesday at the age of 85.
His death came just two weeks after being diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 cancer.
The sudden loss has left his family, colleagues, and an entire industry mourning a man who turned advertising into a shared cultural soundtrack.
The soundtrack of a generation
For Australians over 60, the Aylings’ jingles were more than marketing tools—they were part of growing up.
From singing ‘There’s A Bear In There’ with grandchildren to recalling phone numbers embedded in decades-old ads, their work stitched together family life across generations.
Among their most enduring hits were Tip Top’s ‘Good on ya mum’, Bing Lee’s ‘I Like Bing Lee’, and theme songs for Play School and Mr Squiggle.
Each became what advertising insiders call ‘sticky’—simple, singable tunes that refused to fade from memory.
'They're the hit machine behind campaigns that drove millions in sales and have us all remembering phone numbers 30 years later.'
A creative partnership
The Aylings were a true partnership, with Geoff focusing on music while Jenny crafted the lyrics.
Working from their Central Coast lounge room, they developed a formula they later shared in their book Rapid Response Advertising.
They believed a jingle had to be both catchy and true to the brand—easy enough to sing along to but strong enough to represent a company’s identity.
This philosophy delivered hits for Tooheys beer and cemented their reputation as the team brands could trust.
The golden age of jingles
Their rise coincided with what many call the golden age of Australian jingles, when a tune could make or break a product.
Before the digital era, music was one of the few ways to forge emotional bonds with consumers, and the Aylings mastered it.
Their songs became cultural touchstones, endlessly parodied, quoted, and remembered.
Famous Ayling jingles that became cultural touchstones
'Good on ya mum, Tip Top's the one' - Tip Top bread
'I Like Bing Lee' - Bing Lee electronics
'There's A Bear In There' - Play School theme song
Mr Squiggle theme song
Various Tooheys beer campaigns
Industry respect and personal warmth
Fellow jingle writer Christopher O’Connor described Geoff as a ‘musician genius’ and remembered the couple as ‘two of Australia’s greatest jingle producers’.
He also shared memories of Geoff as a prankster, someone who relished a laugh and filled nights with jokes as much as music.
That playful spirit was part of what made his jingles so memorable.
Their influence extended beyond advertising too, with their work documented in the Australian film Musicmakers and appearances on the Idle Australians podcast.
A sudden farewell
Jenny Ayling later shared on social media that Geoff’s humour never left him, even in his final days.
‘His funny lines kept coming almost to the end,’ she wrote, adding that he passed away thankful for his family, colleagues, and the life they built together.
The couple’s home, with its famous piano in the lounge room, had been the birthplace of countless jingles that reached into households across the country.
From diagnosis to farewell in just two weeks, Geoff’s departure was as swift as it was devastating.
The end of an era
With his passing, Australia lost not only a talented composer but also a guardian of cultural memory.
The Aylings proved that advertising could be more than transactional—it could bring people together.
In an era of algorithms and targeted campaigns, their legacy stands as proof of the power of music to unite.
The legacy of Geoff and Jenny Ayling
- Created approximately 15,000 jingles over 50+ year career
- Wrote theme songs for beloved children's programs
- Pioneered Australian advertising jingle formula
- Left lasting impact on cultural memory
- Demonstrated power of creative partnership in business
What This Means For You
Geoff Ayling died suddenly at the age of 85, just two weeks after being diagnosed with cancer. Together with his wife Jenny, he created around 15,000 jingles over the course of five decades—a body of work that became deeply woven into everyday Australian life. From beloved advertising campaigns to children’s TV themes, their music shaped the memories of generations.
The couple pioneered a formula that blended simplicity, brand identity, and cultural resonance, ensuring their tunes would last far beyond the products they were made to sell. For many of us, these jingles are more than just songs from the past—they are echoes of family moments, childhood television, and the shared soundtrack of Australian life.
Many of us connect jingles to powerful memories—not just of products, but of the television shows and moments that shaped our lives.
Just as Geoff Ayling’s work became a soundtrack to everyday experiences, certain TV programs left a lasting mark on culture and entertainment.
If you’d like to take a trip down memory lane and revisit some of those unforgettable shows, this next story is worth exploring.
Read more: TV Time Machine: The Aussie Shows That Shaped a Generation
His songs may have sold bread, beer, and electronics, but they also became part of who we are—a reminder that sometimes the simplest tunes carry the deepest connections.
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Rest in peace Geoff and may your tunes live forever.
R.I.P. Geoff another 
️ to shine bright in the sky.