Linda Kaplan Thaler and Julie Roehm To Form Simmons's Advisory Board  Kimberly Caldwell To Host

The irrepressible Gene Simmons - rocker, reality TV star, marketing demagogue and teacher - has been tapped to judge JINGLES, the new competition reality series seeking the next great jingle composer.  The show, from executive producer Mark Burnett, is currently in production and will premiere later this year on the CBS Television Network.

Simmons will be joined on JINGLES by his advisory panel, advertising and marketing gurus Linda Kaplan Thaler and Julie Roehm.  These opinionated, high-power executives will share their real world expertise and deliver candid commentaries on the performances.  It is Simmons, however, who will ultimately determine whether the contestants will be eliminated.  Former "American Idol" contestant and TV Guide Network correspondent Kimberly Caldwell will serve as the show's host.

Each week on JINGLES, contestants will be challenged to write and perform jingles about anything and everything - from a food, toy, health or beauty aid, to a team fight song, TV show theme or an update to a classic jingle.  To survive, they will have to convince Simmons and his panel that they have the musical skills, lyrical talent and sheer wit to move on to the next round.  The winner will walk away with a Grand Prize of $100,000 and an advertising contract.

After co-founding rock band KISS 35 years ago, Gene Simmons parlayed the band's musical success into a lucrative licensing and merchandising empire.  KISS currently has over 2,500 licenses, including a KISS coffeehouse, a digital camera and comic book line.  Simmons then capitalized on his own persona, launching his own marketing company, Simmons Abramson Marketing.  He has branded his own image to promote everything from records and books to energy drinks and clothing.  There is even a Gene Simmons U.S. postage stamp. 

An award-winning composer with a master's degree in music, Linda Kaplan Thaler cemented her place in pop culture history by writing one of the world's best known jingles: "I don't want to grow up, I'm a Toys R Us kid."  Today, she is founder, CEO and Chief Executive Officer of The Kaplan Thaler Group, the billion dollar advertising agency behind the famous "Aflac Duck" campaign.  The agency's blue-chip client roster includes Procter & Gamble's Dawn and Swiffer brands, Continental Airlines, Kodak, Kraft Foods, Lunesta, Outback Steakhouse, Pfizer, Trojan and U.S. Bank.

Former senior vice president of marketing and communications for Wal-Mart, Julie Roehm is renowned for her bold and innovative marketing strategies.  She has held senior positions for some of the world's largest corporations, including DaimlerChrysler and Ford Motor Company.  Roehm was responsible for the tagline "That thing got a Hemi?" which became so popular that it spawned bumper stickers and was even referenced in a The New York Times comic.  She also developed Dodge's ubiquitous motto, "Grab life by the horns."  Roehm is the founder of her own agency, Backslash Meta, LLC. 

Kimberly Caldwell became an instant viewer favorite as a contestant on the second season of "American Idol," placing among the top finalists.  She has since become a regular correspondent for TV Guide Network. Caldwell is currently writing and recording songs for her debut album and recently made her acting debut in the feature film "Wrong Turn 2."

JINGLES is produced by Mark Burnett Productions.  Mark Burnett and Mike Nichols serve as executive producers.