Kara DioGuardi to Judge Folgers® Jingle Contest That Offers a Chance to Appear in a Future Folgers Coffee Commercial and $25,000 Prize

ORRVILLE, Ohio, Jan. 19, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the second year in a row, Folgers® is teaming up with Grammy® nominated songwriter and former American Idol® judge, Kara DioGuardi for the 2011 Folgers Jingle Contest. Folgers invites Americans to put their spin on the iconic The Best Part of Wakin' Up™ jingle for a chance to win $25,000, a mentoring session with Kara and the chance to appear in a future Folgers Coffee commercial. Last year's grand prize winner, The Ethan Thompson Band from Missoula, MT, was chosen from among nearly a thousand entries submitted online for the inaugural contest.

"The Folgers jingle is a piece of American pop culture.  It's been performed by many great artists for over 25 years and this contest offers aspiring musicians the opportunity to put their mark on that legacy," said Kara DioGuardi.  "Nothing excites me more than mentoring musical talent, which is why I'm thrilled to be a judge again this year and listen to what America comes up with."  

Individuals and groups of four or less are encouraged to submit their musical and lyrical video entries January 18 through March 1, 2011 on www.bestpartofwakinup.com.  Entries will be judged on creativity/originality, musical performance, and adherence to creative assignment.  The top 10 semi-finalists will have their entries posted online for a public vote on or about March 31 – April 25, 2011.  The top five finalists will then travel to New York City on or about June 8, 2011, to compete in the live grand prize audition and perform their version of the The Best Part of Wakin' Up jingle live in front Kara DioGuardi and a panel of judges.  For Official Rules and complete details, please visit www.bestpartofwakinup.com.  Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and D.C., 18 years of age and older.  Void where prohibited.

"The Folgers jingle has been performed numerous times for over 25 years, and it truly spans across all music genres including country, R&B, A cappella and gospel," said Maribeth Badertscher, Vice President, Corporate Communications, The J.M. Smucker Company. "We are looking forward to hearing America's talented musicians put their unique spin on the jingle and tell us how the taste and aroma of Folgers Coffee helps them wake up in the morning."

Last year's Grand Prize winner, The Ethan Thompson Band, can soon be seen performing their winning jingle in the latest Folgers Coffee commercial with Kara DioGuardi, set to debut nationwide on January 19, 2011.  Visit www.bestpartofwakinup.com to view the full commercial and last year's winner and runner-up jingle performances from the 2010 New York City judging event.

About The J. M. Smucker Company

For more than 110 years, The J.M. Smucker Company has been committed to offering consumers quality products that help families create memorable mealtime moments.  Today, Smucker is a leading marketer and manufacturer of fruit spreads, retail packaged coffee, peanut butter, shortening and oils, ice cream toppings, sweetened condensed milk, and health and natural foods beverages in North America. Its family of brands includes Smucker's®, Folgers®, Dunkin' Donuts®, Jif®, Crisco®, Pillsbury®, Eagle Brand®, R.W. Knudsen Family®, Hungry Jack®, White Lily® and Martha White® in the United States, along with Robin Hood®, Five Roses®, Carnation®, Europe's Best® and Bick's® in Canada. The Company remains rooted in the Basic Beliefs of Quality, People, Ethics, Growth and Independence established by its founder and namesake more than a century ago. The Company has appeared on FORTUNE Magazine's list of the 100 Best Companies to Work For in the United States 12 times, ranking number one in 2004. For more information about the Company, visit www.smuckers.com.

The J.M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks, except Pillsbury, the Barrelhead logo and the Doughboy character are trademarks of The Pillsbury Company, LLC, used under license; Carnation is a trademark of Societe des Produits Nestle S.A., used under license; and Dunkin' Donuts is a registered trademark of DD IP Holder, LLC, used under license. Borden and Elsie are trademarks used under license.

Grammy is a trademark of National Academy of Recording Arts & Sciences, Inc.

American Idol is a trademark of FremantleMedia North America, Inc.

SOURCE The J.M. Smucker Company

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