Who wrote the Ozempic song?
*Behind the jingle, the reuse of a 1970s hit, and the story of how it became a pop-culture moment* *
(By Carmichael Phillip)
If you’ve ever heard the catchy refrain “Oh, oh, oh, Ozempic!” you might have wondered: who wrote this jingle? It turns out the answer takes us back nearly 50 years, to a 1970s pop hit, and then forward to a pharmaceutical ad campaign that transformed the song into one of the most recognizable taglines in modern drug-marketing. In this article we’ll explore the origins of the tune, how it came to be repurposed for Ozempic, and the interesting journey of its writer – from pop-radio caching to medical-marketing ubiquity.
The original song: “Magic” by Pilot
The jingle for Ozempic borrows heavily from the 1974 song “Magic” by the Scottish pop-rock band Pilot.
The original song was written by band members David Paton and Billy Lyall, with uncredited assistance from guitarist Ian Bairnson.
Here are key facts:
Magic was recorded in 1974 at Abbey Road Studios, London.
The song peaked at No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 in 1975.
The lyric “Oh, oh, oh, it’s magic” was its defining hook.
In interviews, Paton says he wrote the song inspired by a sunrise near Edinburgh and a phrase his wife casually uttered: “I’ve never been awake to see the daybreak.”
From pop hit to jingle: how “Magic” became the Ozempic theme
Fast-forward several decades: the brand Ozempic (by Novo Nordisk) needed a memorable audio asset for its TV and digital advertising. The “oh, oh, oh…” hook from Magic proved ideal. According to sources:
David Paton was asked to re-record his original song, with the lyric modified from “it’s magic” to “Ozempic.”
On Ozempic’s official site: “Go behind the scenes with David Paton … to see how the song was made.”
Marketing commentary points out that the jingle has become a powerful branding device — so recognizable that it drives recall for the drug.
In short: the songwriting credit goes back to Paton and Lyall (and the Pilot band), but the version used in Ozempic’s ad is a new recording tailored for the campaign.
The writer behind the tune: David Paton’s story
David Paton, frontman and co-writer, led a fascinating life in music and advertising. Some highlights:
He started with Pilot in the early 1970s; Magic was their breakout hit.
After Pilot dissolved, Paton continued as a session musician and studio player (including work with artists like Kate Bush and Elton John).
GuitarPlayer
In recent years, Paton returned to Abbey Road Studios to record the Ozempic version of his song.
As he himself put it: “I couldn’t be happier that 5 decades later my song continues to live on and has become so recognizable for people with type 2 diabetes.”
Thus, while Paton didn’t set out to write a jingle for a diabetes drug, the repurposing of his own song has given it a second life.
The legal and marketing implications
When you borrow or repurpose a song, several layers of rights come into play: composition (songwriting), sound recording, performance, and licensing. In this case:
Paton and Lyall hold songwriting credits for Magic.
For the advertisement, the composition has been reused (with changed lyric) and a new sound recording made by Paton for the campaign.
Marketing commentators note that the jingle’s effectiveness comes from instant recognition of the melody: “distinct branding devices like jingles are more than seven times more effective than logos in driving brand attention.”
PharmaLive
It’s an example of how pharma advertising can repurpose cultural assets to embed branding deeply into consumer memory.
Why the jingle resonated — and what it means
Why did a song from the mid-1970s suddenly become the soundtrack of a modern diabetes-treatment ad? A few reasons:
The melody is catchy and instantly familiar for those who heard the original; for younger listeners it still has pop-hook appeal.
The “oh, oh, oh” hook fits the three-syllable brand name (“O-zem-pic”), making the adaptation seamless.
For the brand, having a song that people hum or remember boosts ad recall and brand association: the campaign is cited as a textbook example of sonic branding in pharma.
For consumers, it shows how media and branding can recycle cultural artefacts (like a pop song) into new contexts — in this case, health-care advertising.
Summary answer: so, who wrote the Ozempic song?
In short: The jingle used for Ozempic is based on the song Magic, written in 1974 by David Paton and Billy Lyall for Pilot. For the Ozempic campaign, the song was re-recorded by Paton, with the lyric adapted (“Oh, oh, oh, Ozempic!”) and used as the commercial theme.
So while the “Ozempic song” as heard in ads didn’t originate entirely from scratch, the core songwriting credit remains with Paton and Lyall.
Final thoughts
Music, memory, and marketing often intertwine in surprising ways — and the story behind “Oh, oh, oh, Ozempic!” is a prime example. What began as a sunrise-inspired pop tune in the 1970s transformed into a modern jingle that millions hear and hum, often without realizing its origin. For David Paton, the journey has been full-circle: from “it’s magic” in a pop chart hit to “Ozempic” in a high-visibility ad campaign decades later.
Next time you hear that melody, you’ll know the story behind it.
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