Voting online through Wednesday, April 27

By Ryan Gueningsman
Managing Editor

DELANO, MN – Voices from Delano may soon be heard all across the state if the Bruhn family’s jingle for Coborn’s is selected as the winner of the grocery store chain’s jingle contest.

Carol Bruhn picked up a flier at Coborn’s in Delano about a contest taking place to come up with the next jingle for Coborn’s.

“We like a good contest in the Bruhn household,” Carol’s husband, Brad, said.

So, Brad, with his musical background, and daughters Claire and Kate set out to work.

Jingles were judged on creativity and originality, promotional strength, adherence to creative assignment, and music and lyrics, according to Coborn’s.

“Kate came up with the idea and my dad kind of put a melody to it,” Claire Bruhn said. “We’ve done musical things before, and we like contests, so we just decided to try this one.”

“I was thinking about it all day,” Kate said. “I just eventually started singing something.”

Brad said Kate won a trip for the family to California by participating in a “creative kids” contest sponsored by a Twin Cities radio station. Kate and Claire are both actively involved in Delano’s Destination ImagiNation program.

Once the Bruhns had the lyrics and melody, they enlisted the help of friend Joe Seliski, who works for a media company in St. Paul. Bruhn has worked with Seliski and Mike Rumpza, creating original music, has been part of the band UK-5, and is also an original member of Butch Automatic.

The 42-second jingle was recorded and sent to the contest judges, and the Bruhns were told their jingle is a finalist.

Delano Coborn’s store manager Joe Tipka said it was a month-long contest, promoted at all 28 Coborn’s stores across Minnesota and South Dakota.

“I was surprised when I found out Brad and his family had been chosen to be in the top three,” Tipka said. “We’re pretty excited someone from Delano made it to the top three.”

Coborn’s customers and the general public is now being asked to vote for the jingle they like the most and that would suit the stores the best.

One can go to www.coborns.com, click on the jingle contest banner, and vote one time per day through the contest period.

Claire, who is in the fifth grade at Delano Elementary School in Tom Berggren’s class, and Kate, who is also in the fifth grade in Karen Shallbetter’s class, both said their friends have been supportive and have been helping them obtain votes.

“My friends like it and said they vote every day,” Claire said.

“Most of my friends have been voting, too,” Kate said. “Voting one day helps, but people can vote once a day, every day.”

The family is eligible to win a new iPod nano with a touch screen, a $500 Coborn’s giftcard, and “bragging rights,” Brad said.

Tipka asked the Bruhns to come to the Coborn’s booth at the Delano Expo April 9 to promote the contest and the judging, which continues through Wednesday, April 27. The winner will be announced Friday, April 29.

“Coborn’s is still a family-owned and run business and the jingle really fits what we are and who we are as a company and a whole organization,” Tipka said of the Bruhn’s jingle.

“That’s where we shop,” added Brad.

The Bruhns said they have been watching the votes and originally were in the lead, but now the other two finalists have been receiving more votes, too.

“The other two are gaining on us,” Claire said.

“It’s been a fun experience,” Brad said. “The key to it all is getting people to vote every day. People are busy and we understand that, but we hope people can keep the votes coming.”