The Massive Amount Of Money Folger's Classic Coffee Jingle Just Sold For

The scene is just like the commercial. As you're getting ready for school or work, the morning light seeps through the raised blinds into the kitchen and suddenly soothing music sifts through the room. "The best part of waking up ..." 

Or, maybe you're in the car driving in your morning commute. Even as the traffic attempts to ruin the start of the day, the radio commercial pipes in, finishing the jingle, "Folger's in your cup!" You reach for your to-go mug of coffee in the center console and take a big swig. Ahh, yes, the day is back on track.

Since its debut in 1984 (via Folger's), the ubiquitous tune has been deeply embedded in our societal psyche and has become one of the "most recognizable pieces of advertising in American culture," according to the brand. Folger's continues to be an extremely popular option for coffee and even led the at-home coffee market in 2020, with almost double the sales of the second place brand, Starbucks (via Statista). And it's reasonable to say the earworm tune has a lot to do with Folger's continued success.

As it turns out, the rights to the jingle were just auctioned off to the highest bidder for a massive amount. 

The Folger's jingle was just auctioned off, with the closing bid coming in on September 30. Over the course of the auction, the bidding rose in $550 increments from the starting point of $63,000. The final amount that the jingle was sold for (including all rights to the song) was a whopping $90,500, according to Royalty Exchange.

The sale includes the chance to earn royalties off of public performance of the song, which is officially called "Real Snowy Morning" (via Food & Wine). These public performance royalties will entitle the owner to earn money every time the song is used in a Folger's commercial, in film, on radio, and every time it is streamed online. The royalties over the past 12 months alone have amounted to $11,747, and the song has netted $38,164.19 since 2011, says the magazine.

The buyer must believe in the legacy of the song, as the jingle will need to continue to stay relevant for them to recoup the investment. However, the tune has continued to be used by Folger's in different jingle contests and advertising campaigns, so the buyer just might be on to something.