The Dr Pepper jingle: A TikTok creator made $2 million in less than 10 seconds

And BOOM.. a TikTok joke became pop culture history.

In case you missed it, or you’re on Instagram reels and refuse to get TikTok, a catchy Dr Pepper jingle, casually recorded on a phone and posted days before Christmas, has gone viral.

From ‘wait, why is this stuck in my head?’ to a primetime national commercial, airing during the College Football Playoff National Championship between Indiana Hooisers and Miami Hurricanes.

And yes, the internet is responsible.

TikTok creator Romeo never planned to launch a full-blown advertising campaign. 

They were just vibin’ at home, when a melody popped into their head.

“Dr Pepper baby, it’s good and nice. Doo. Doo. Doo.” and instead of ignoring it, they did what any seasoned TikTok veteran would do: hit record immediately.

The video was posted impulsively, half jokes, captioned:

‘@Dr Pepper please get back to me with a proposition we can make thousands together. #drpepper #soda #beverage’

What came next was way more than LOLs.

Romeo has always shared original music and content on TikTok, but this was different.

The clip absolutely exploded across TikTok, racking up more than 96 million views, over 9 million likes, and an endless stream of creators remixing, parodying, and proudly singing along. (I seriously can’t stop singing it)

The jingle hit that rare spot of sincerity, silliness and brand ready perfection. It felt inevitable, sorta a ‘served on a silver platter’ type energy. 

As the sound took over FYPs, Romeo watched the momentum build in real time, while comments from fans flooded in.

The stitches stacked up, along with more companies and brands falling into her comment section, such as Subway, Wingstop, Hungry Jacks, Dennys and more recently, Hyundai, for which Romeo has already created a new jingle for, AND has already reportedly locked in 4 brand deals. 

And then, the moment every creator secretly hopes for finally arrived: Dr Pepper slid on into the DMs.

From there, things escalated VERY fast.

The brand didn’t just repost the sound, they went ALL in. The jingle was officially licensed, professionally produced, and treated like a legitimate creative collaboration, with Romeo credited and involved every step of the way. 

What started as a comical TikTok moment was suddenly being shaped into something much bigger, and we all got to watch it unfold in real time. 

‘I'm buying a Dr Pepper just because,’ one user wrote on TikTok.

Honestly bro, I love it when we make the right people famous. 

Dr Pepper decided to debut the finished version during one of the biggest sports broadcasts of the year: the College Football Playoff National Championship on Jan 19.

According to hundreds of TikTok comments, Romeo was paid $2 million (just over $3 million NZD) by Dr Pepper. 

For Romeo, the entire experience feels surreal and deeply validating.

They describe it as a ‘once in a lifetime moment’, solid proof that trusting an instinct, even a cheeky one, can change everything. 

Watching a personal idea transform into a polished national ad, became a major milestone in Romeo’s music journey, especially as they continue releasing original songs of their own and continue making jingles for companies. 

What Kiwi brand do you think deserves a new jingle? Personally, a new catchy Air New Zealand jingle would go hard.