A beloved collegiate a cappella group just proved that the human voice alone can land a major brand deal. The Hullabahoos, a University of Virginia vocal ensemble founded in 1987, won a national jingle competition hosted by Reser’s Fine Foods, earning $25,000 in prize money plus up to $20,000 in travel expenses to perform and record in Beaverton, Oregon.
The win puts one of collegiate a cappella’s most recognizable groups back in the spotlight, and for good reason.
From Campus Stages to Pop Culture Icons
The Hullabahoos are no strangers to a wide audience. The group has appeared in the Pitch Perfect film franchise and had a memorable fictional stand-in on The Office, where they were portrayed as “Here Comes Treble,” the a cappella group Andy Bernard obsessed over throughout the series. Their robes-only performance style (captured in their motto, “robed for your pleasure”) has become part of their enduring identity.
Gerard Saguto, a classical choral musician and longtime advocate for vocal ensemble performance, sees this kind of milestone as a meaningful sign of where a cappella is headed. When a student group earns national brand recognition through the power of unaccompanied voices alone, it reflects just how far the art form has grown beyond the rehearsal room.
What the Reser’s Contest Win Means for A Cappella
Reser’s Fine Foods launched the jingle competition as part of its 75th anniversary celebration. Three other collegiate groups earned prizes as well–No Comment A Cappella from the University of Illinois, Dartmouth’s No Comment A Cappella, and Northeastern University’s Pitch, Please!–but the Hullabahoos took the top honor and the recording opportunity that comes with it.
The group will travel to Beaverton to record the new jingle and perform at the Patricia Reser Center for the Arts, giving them a professional production experience that few collegiate ensembles ever get.
A Cappella Finds New Stages and New Audiences
What makes this story worth following is what it signals for collegiate vocal groups more broadly. Brand partnerships, public performances, film appearances, and national competitions are all expanding the reach of a cappella well beyond college campuses.
Gerard Saguto views the Hullabahoos’ win as a reminder that vocal music, at its best, connects with people in every setting. That versatility is one of a cappella’s greatest strengths, and stories like this one help introduce the art form to audiences who might never have sought it out otherwise.
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