It’s baaack! Some love it. Some love to hate it. But no one can forget it. Metro’s unshakable radio ad, complete with slightly off-key lead singer and "My Girl" melody to promote the agency’s recycling hotline, has invaded ears – and hearts – again.
"I think it’s great," said Pat DeSiervi, the Bronx-born restaurant owner whose unmistakable New York accent paints the jingle’s lead vocals. "People get a real kick out of it."
The 60-second spot, which points listeners to Metro’s recycling hotline for free expert advice and referrals on proper disposal, reuse or recycling of everything from PCs to bug spray, first hit the airwaves for a two-year run in 2005. Other ads have aired since, but callers – and some reporters, too – still remember "that guy" and have even ventured a verse or two themselves.
Local copywriter and producer David F. Brooks tapped DeSiervi to help sing the jingle after first visiting his New York, New York pizzeria in southwest Portland. "As soon as he opened his mouth," remembered Brooks, "I said to myself, 'One of these days, I’m going to use him as a voice-over in a commercial.' It took about three or four years, but when the Metro opportunity arose, I knew he was perfect for it."
And memorable. Though DeSiervi seems too modest to admit it – "Singing? You call that 'singing'?" he’s quick to say – that voice may have earned him at least a little celebrity. It just takes a few minutes before a customer might say, "Oh, it’s that Metro guy!"
Metro Recycling Information, a telephone hotline, has assisted residents and businesses across Multnomah, Washington and Clackamas counties since 1981. The program serves as a clearinghouse, providing information, referrals and educational materials on recycling, disposal options, waste prevention and toxics reduction in the Portland metropolitan area.
Revered for offering live phone assistance in an era of automated voice systems, the hotline is available at 503-234-3000 from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Callers, frequently surprised to hear a person answer the phone, have said in surveys that they value the quick, helpful answers they get when contacting the hotline. The program has grown from an operation whose only resource was a map marked with recycling depots to a GIS database-driven service with hundreds of recycling, reuse and disposal referrals as well as several hundred topic files. In its first year, the hotline answered more than 9,000 calls. It reached the 2 million mark in 2009 and will soon hit 2.2 million.
The depth and types of information also have changed. Though callers once may have asked about recycling tin cans and newspaper, they now look for information about hundreds of items and topics including electronics, some of which are now recycled for free through the Oregon E-Cycles program. With many materials recyclable curbside and still more accepted by programs beyond the curb, options for residents and businesses have greatly expanded across the region. Callers also can visit Metro’s website for timely tips and resources on recycling, gardening organically, reducing junk mail and adopting other practices for more sustainable living.
As for the radio spot: Does everybody love it? Maybe not. Still, it’s hard not to be a fan. "It's really goofy," said one hotline caller, who added that the jingle does help her remember the phone number.