Jingle all the way

Jenny Snipstead and Ethan Thompson have been creating music together since high school. Even now, almost two years after graduating from Flathead High School, the pair find themselves making music whenever they spend time together.

So when Thompson decided to enter a Folgers Coffee jingle contest, he asked Snipstead to collaborate.

“I was doing the harmonies by myself. It needed a girl’s voice,” Thompson said.

“It gave it that extra sparkle or something,” Snipstead added.

With help from Thompson’s Missoula-based band, What Rhymes With Oranges, they created a nearly 60-second jingle. The song is original except for the familiar line at the end: “The best part of wakin’ up is Folgers in your cup.”

Their take on the classic jingle was chosen as one of the top 10 entries in the nationwide contest. Now their jingle needs votes to make it into the top five.

If the song is selected, Snipstead, Thompson and his bandmates will win a trip to New York City, the opportunity to perform their jingle for a panel of judges and a chance to win $25,000.

The winning jingle might also be featured in a Folgers Coffee commercial.

Thompson’s mom was the first to tell him about the contest. Thompson, 19, is taking a break from college to pursue music, and writing a jingle seemed like fun — and a good way to get some exposure, he said.

“It’s nice to get my music out there,” he said.

He showed the song he was working on to his bandmates, Landon Lee of Conrad and Dan Coburn of Ashland, Ore. They were immediately enthusiastic.

“They said, ‘That’s really good. We should probably pursue this,’” Thompson said.

He didn’t want to sing all the harmonies himself, so he called Snipstead, his longtime friend and musical collaborator. Thompson was on his way to Seattle, and he asked Snipstead if she wanted to meet him there to record some vocals.

Snipstead, a 19-year-old student at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., agreed.

“He said, ‘Let’s do it now because we’re in the same state,’” Snipstead said. “We brainstormed a little, sitting with microphones in the hotel.”

The result was a mellow, catchy tune, but when Thompson got back to Missoula, he had another challenge. He had to submit a video with the song, and getting the band and Snipstead together in one place to shoot it seemed unlikely.

The only solution seemed to be to shoot the video without her. Thompson shot one video with his band, but it didn’t quite work, he said. Snipstead’s voice is distinctive throughout the song, and it seemed wrong to shoot a video with the all-male band.

“I told him to use a double,” Snipstead said.

Debra Gleim, a University of Montana student, filled in for her and lip-synched through the video.

“We’re of similar size and have the same color hair,” Snipstead said.

The video is posted on the jingle contest Web site, www.bestpartofwakinup.com, as are the other top 10 songs. The number of votes each jingle receives will determine the top five.

Would-be voters do have to register on the Web site, but signing up is free. People can vote every day through April 21, and those who vote will be entered to win daily prizes — $25 iTunes cards — and a $10,000 cash prize.

Snipstead and Thompson have voted every day.

“It’s the best part of waking up. You just do it in the morning,” Snipstead said.

Reporter Kristi Albertson may be reached at 758-4438 or by e-mail at kalbertson@dailyinterlake.com.