Geoff Ayling, famed Australian jingle writer behind Bing Lee and Tip Top, dies at 85
Advertising icon and half of a celebrated jingle duo dies two weeks after cancer diagnosis; wrote more than 15,000 tunes that helped shape Australia’s brand soundscape.
Geoff Ayling, 85, a central figure in Australia’s advertising industry and half of the jingle-writing duo behind some of the country’s most recognizable earworms, has died, two weeks after falling ill. Ayling, who with wife Jenny penned more than 15,000 advertising jingles since 1967, was diagnosed with aggressive stage 4 cancer on September 13, and died at Gosford Hospital on September 25.
Among their most iconic work were Bing Lee's 'I Like Bing Lee' and Tip Top's 'Good on you mum.' They also wrote the theme song for the children's show Mr Squiggle, and the jingle for Tooheys beer.
On the NSW Central Coast, where they lived, the couple kept a piano in the lounge for composing tunes. Jenny Ayling posted on Facebook after Geoff fell ill and was diagnosed, saying she was devastated; she later wrote that he had died, expressing gratitude for the support they had received and for the life they had shared.
Tributes poured in for Ayling, with fellow jingle writer Christopher O'Connor describing him as a musician genius who, with Jenny, helped create some of Australia's most enduring commercial melodies. He recalled Ayling as a prankster who pulled mad gags after big nights out with friends.
Beyond their string of brand tunes, the couple co-authored a book detailing their winning formula to make brands spread like wildfire. They remained on the NSW Central Coast, continuing to work from their lounge where a piano stood as a centerpiece of their craft. Ayling's last days were marked by gratitude; friends and colleagues recalled his wit, his generosity, and a lifetime of music that shaped Australia's advertising soundscape.