Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly
407 episodes - English - Latest episode: 21 days ago - ★★★★★ - 426 ratingsUnder the Influence gives listeners a rare backstage pass into the hallways, boardrooms and recording studios of the ad industry.Join host and adman Terry O’Reilly for fascinating (and humorous) stories that connect the dots between pop culture, marketing and human nature.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Episodes
S11E23 - Bookmarks 2022
June 11, 2022 15:56 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBThis week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode – where we tell the great stories that didn’t fit into our regular episodes. Including a story about Frankenstein, one about the waffle iron that inspired Nike and a very funny story about a presidential campaign billboard that mistakenly featured the wrong candidate. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E22 - Brand Envy 2022
June 04, 2022 15:56 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week, I tell the stories of four of my favourite brands. One holds the record for the most Oscar wins, one was a kid’s animated show produced by a church, another became one of the best-selling toys of all time and one found a way to cut through late-night TV. And all lasted for decades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E21 - "Rule Breakers"
May 28, 2022 15:56 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week, the topic is rule breakers. It takes a courageous advertiser to flout the rules. The results can either be a goldmine or a landmine. We’ll talk about a burger chain that dared show moldy food in its advertising and a rule-breaking stunt involving the NRA that you won’t soon forget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E20 - Brilliantly Bland: Why Boring Sells
May 21, 2022 15:57 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week, we look at boring products. There is a truism in the marketing world - boring sells. And in some of the biggest categories, boring products are the runaway best-sellers. Why do we overwhelmingly choose white cars, gray wall paint and beige carpets? And what does that say about us? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Rejecting The Rubik's Cube
May 14, 2022 21:32 - 42 minutes - 39 MBIn case you missed it, the team behind Under The Influence started a podcast network. We wanted to bring you a bonus episode this week from one of our other podcasts titled, "We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast." This episode is about how the Rubik's Cube faced endless rejection as a toy - before finally finding success. Now over 450 million Rubik's Cubes have been sold. It's a story full of twists and turns. If you like what you hear, there are over 40 episodes to dive into. E...
S11E18 - Confessions of a Book Lover: The Art of Marketing Books
May 07, 2022 15:57 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, we look at how books are advertised and marketed. Over 2.2 million new books are published every year - so how do books get noticed? One bookstore uses movies to sell books, another gets prison inmates to write book reviews and one grocery store breaks all the rules by putting books in the vegetable section. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E17 - Put A Tiger in Your Tank: Advertising Gets Animated
April 30, 2022 16:18 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThis week, we look at the history of animated commercials. One of the very first hit the air in 1941 - for “crinkle-proof ties.” Next came Reddy Kilowatt, to quell the public’s fear of electricity in the home. Then Esso’s Put a Tiger in Your Tank tangled with Kellogg’s Tony the Tiger - and that’s when the fur started to fly. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E16 - Only in Advertising: Stories from the Front Lines
April 23, 2022 15:57 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThis week, I ask my advertising colleagues for their most outrageous ad stories. The advertising business is a big money, high stress industry. And so much can go sideways. Sometimes film shoots go horribly wrong, sometimes clients make the most ridiculous demands, sometimes celebrities refuse to say their lines and sometimes even a James Bond campaign can go up in flames. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E15 - Surprising Origin Stories
April 16, 2022 15:59 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week on Under The Influence, we tell the surprising origin stories of some famous products and brands. Because sometimes, backstories have backstories. We’ll tell a surprising tale about Coca Cola and the Civil War. We’ll delve into the bootlegger background of NASCAR. And we’ll tell the story of how the Lamborghini supercar began with a tractor… and an insult. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E14 - From Batawa To Port Sunlight: The Story of Company Towns
April 09, 2022 15:57 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBThis week, we look at cities and towns that are actually named after companies. We’ll talk about one town named after a shoe company, one named for a chocolate bar and another town that’s even named after a dish soap. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E13 - My Best Mistake "Bonus" Pod to celebrate Canada Reads on CBC
April 04, 2022 00:42 - 14 minutes - 12.8 MBTo celebrate Canada Reads on CBC this week, here is the first chapter of Terry's latest book, "My Best Mistake". Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E12- Lions, Panties & Hotel Keys: Hollywood Publicity Stunts
March 26, 2022 15:57 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThis week, we look at the most outrageous Hollywood Publicity Stunts. The crazier the stunt, the better. From sneaking a full-grown lion into a hotel room, to convincing women to throw panties at Tom Jones to spending $8 million dollars on a single stunt for a movie - wild publicity stunts were catnip to the press. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E11 - Don't Do It Advertising - Part Two
March 19, 2022 15:57 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThis week, it’s Part Two of our “Don’t Do It Advertising” episode. Last week we looked at ads that asked you NOT to do something. This week, it’s ads that ask you NOT to do something, but really want you to DO something. It’s reverse-psychology at work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E10 - Don't Do It Advertising
March 12, 2022 16:58 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThis week, we look at a category of advertising that doesn’t try to sell you something. As a matter of fact, tries to get you to STOP doing something. Like littering. And smoking. And drinking & driving. And spilling secrets. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E09 - Tornados & Lawsuits: Why Companies Wrestle with Name Changes
March 05, 2022 16:57 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week, we look at the reasons why successful companies suddenly change their names. Sometimes those name changes are for legal reasons, sometimes it’s because the old name has too much negative baggage, sometimes it’s to boost a stock price and sometimes a name changes because of a tornado. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E08 - Medicine & Miracles: The Power of Hospital Marketing
February 26, 2022 16:58 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBThis week, we look at powerful hospital marketing. Hospitals need marketing to generate much-needed donations. We’ll look at how one hospital uses celebrities, how another uses riveting patient stories and how one hospital threw away the rulebook and created advertising that looks like Nike commercials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E06 - Inside The Super Bowl
February 12, 2022 16:58 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBIn this episode, we dive into the Super Bowl. The broadcast not only attracts the biggest viewing audience of the year, it is one of the biggest marketing machines. It affects beer companies and supermarkets and even record sales of the halftime performers. And we’ll also revisit some of the most outrageous Super Bowl moments. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E05 - How Jerry Goodis Made an Advertisement a Beautiful Thing
February 05, 2022 16:58 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week, we tell the story of one of the most colourful characters in the history of Canadian advertising - Jerry Goodis. He founded a legendary advertising agency and created some of Canada’s longest-running ad campaigns. And while doing that, he attacked the ad industry for producing terrible ads. He was loved and hated but couldn’t be ignored. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E04 - Selling Love: The Business of Online Dating
January 29, 2022 16:58 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBThis week, we explore how dating agencies Sell Love. We’ll talk about the very first dating service in history, we’ll explore one app that is more about lust than love and we’ll talk about how heartthrob Reynolds created one of the best dating commercials of the last 10 years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E04 - Selling Love: The Business of On-Line Dating
January 29, 2022 16:58 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBThis week, we explore how dating agencies Sell Love. We’ll talk about the very first dating service in history, we’ll explore one app that is more about lust than love and we’ll talk about how heartthrob Reynolds created one of the best dating commercials of the last 10 years. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
S11E03 - Long Overdue: The Creative Boom of Library Marketing
January 22, 2022 17:01 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBThis week, we look at the ways libraries market themselves. If you think libraries are quiet, you’ve got another thing coming. We’ll talk about a library video series that played like a TV cop show - and - we’ll look at library wars - when libraries battle each other on social media. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E02 - Perry Mason Moments: The Most Unexpected Ads of 2021
January 15, 2022 17:01 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBIn this episode, we talk about the most unexpected ads of 2021. Quite a few commercials made eyebrows rise last year. From a fast-food restaurant that created outrage on International Women’s Day, to a Christmas ad that generated the most complaints of the year, to a Super Bowl commercial that was nearly derailed by a DUI charge. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S11E01 - Number Fever: Surprising Stories of Bottle Cap Marketing
January 08, 2022 17:01 - 27 minutes - 25 MBWe’re back with our new season and the first episode is all about Bottle Cap Marketing. A bottle cap is a tiny thing but offers big opportunities. We’ll talk about how Coke figured out a way to help sophomores make friends, why a beer let other brands advertise on its bottle tops and how Pepsi staged a bottle cap promotion and almost made a $32 billion snafu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We’re back January 8th
December 29, 2021 05:10 - 58 seconds - 1.33 MBWe’ve got a fun 2022 season planned for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E25 - Ask Terry 2021
June 24, 2021 04:10 - 27 minutes - 25.6 MBIt's our annual Ask Terry episode where we answer listener questions. We’ll delve into why creative advertising agencies have such boring names, to what has changed most - and least - since the Mad Men Era to why the wrong people are put into marketing departments so often. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E24 - Can’t Get Enough of the Wonderful Duff: Fake Hollywood Brands
June 17, 2021 04:10 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBThis week, we talk about Fake Hollywood Brands. Whenever directors need a prop and there is no paid product placement, they have to use fake products. From Morley Cigarettes to Heisler beer to that wily ACME Corporation, these pretend brands have been around for decades.
S10E24 - Can’t Get Enough of That Wonderful Duff: Fake Hollywood Brands
June 17, 2021 04:10 - 28 minutes - 25.8 MBThis week, we talk about fake Hollywood brands. Whenever directors need a prop and there is no paid product placement, they have to use fake products. From Morley Cigarettes to Heisler beer to that wily ACME Corporation, these pretend brands have been around for decades. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E23 - Tombstone Tourists: The Growth of Cemetery Tourism
June 10, 2021 04:10 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, we explore cemetery tourism. Before the pandemic stopped travel in its tracks, graveyards were becoming tourist hotspots. Millions of people are choosing vacation spots based on the final resting places of famous people. And cemeteries are using marketing to attract those tourists. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E22 - The Show Must Go On: Broadway Marketing
June 03, 2021 04:10 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBThis week, we head to Broadway. Every Broadway show is mounted with incredible risk and very few shows earn back their investments. But there are huge hits and the marketing behind these shows is often bold and outrageous. And sometimes, the marketing is just plain fun. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E21 - Too Many Turk Brodas: Trading Card Marketing
May 27, 2021 04:10 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week, we trace the history of trading cards. For over 150 years, companies have used trading cards to entice customers to buy their products. From cigarette cards to bubble gum cards for Batman, sports teams and even the Gulf War, trading cards are big business. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E20 - Bookmarks 2021
May 20, 2021 04:10 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, it’s our annual Bookmarks episode - where we tell you the fascinating stories that didn’t fit into our regular episodes. Including a little-known backstory on the 1972 Canada/Russia hockey series and a moving story about a hockey game that was cut short by tragedy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E18 - There’s Something About Mary: Mad Woman Mary Wells
May 06, 2021 04:10 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week, we profile the remarkable career of, arguably, the most successful women in advertising - Mary Wells. She was a woman of firsts - the first woman to found and run a major advertising agency, the first female CEO to take a company public and the first women to intimidate the boys club of Madison Avenue. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E17 - Son of Crocodile Dundee: Nostalgia Advertising
April 29, 2021 00:09 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week, we explore the use of nostalgia in advertising. For decades, advertisers have tapped collective memories in commercials, hoping those warm feelings wash over their products. From resurrecting Wayne’s World for Uber Eats commercials to Macaulay Culkin revisiting Home Alone for Google, nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E16 - I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing: Surviving The Ad Biz
April 22, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, we tell crazy stories from the world of advertising. High pressure, big money and impossible deadlines makes for some hilarious situations. Including a TV shoot where a hot air balloon towing a new car goes missing in the wind and a cat food company who insists the ad agency eat the cat food before they create the ads. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E15 - Who Will Buy My Memories: Fan Club Marketing
April 15, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week, we dive into the world of Fan Clubs. They are huge marketing tools for celebrities. We’ll track some of the earliest fan clubs, then compare them to the fan clubs in the digital era. We’ll also explore the big shift in power that swung from celebrities over to their fans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E14 - One Toke Over The Line: 50-Year Marketing Milestones
April 08, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThis week, we talk about companies and products that turn 50 years old this year. Back in 1971, some of the best-selling products were created that are still best-sellers today. There were also a number of famous advertising campaigns launched that year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E13 - Red Carpet Marketing: The Business of Award Shows
April 01, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week, we look at televised award shows and how they are very effective marketing for movies, Broadway plays and recording artists. We’ll explore whether Oscar nominations sell more tickets than Oscar wins, how Grammys can make a career and how the Tony awards can rescue a play overnight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E12 - Air Quotes: Creative Radio 2021
March 25, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBThis week, we listen to the most creative radio advertising from around the world. It’s the toughest medium to write for - but it’s also the most creatively freeing. We’ll hear commercials for a hair removal product, a fast-food series created for these confusing times and a student audio idea that attracted Taylor Swift. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E11 - Brands Are People, Too: Products Named After Inventors (Encore)
March 18, 2021 00:10 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBThis week, we explore famous products named after their inventors. Some products are so cemented in our minds we forget those names once belonged to people. Shrapnel was invented by Henry Shrapnel, nachos were invented by Nachos Anaya and the leotard was invented by a Jules Leotard. We’ll even look at some inventors who wish their names had been forgotten… Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E10 - Brand Envy 2021
March 11, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode. This season, we look at four unique companies. One completely changed a sport forever. One became the best-selling toy of all time. Another has influenced the music business since 1894. And one had a heavenly idea. All achieved something that had never been done before. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E09 - The Future Is Furry: Animals In Advertising
March 04, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25 MBThis week, we look at famous animals in advertising. The ad industry has a long history of using animals in commercials. From Spuds MacKenzie the original party animal to the majestic Budweiser Clydesdales to Morris the finicky cat, they all have fascinating stories to tell. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E08 - Celestial Advertising: The Art of Skywriting
February 25, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBThis week, we look at one of the oldest advertising mediums - skywriting. From its beginning back in the early 1920s, skywriting was once the most sensational advertising medium in the country. We’ll look at the most famous skywriting campaigns, the most recent billboards in the sky and some of the most amusing spelling errors. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E07 - It’s Finger Lickin’ Bad: Marketing in the Time of Covid
February 18, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week, we explore how the pandemic is affecting the world of marketing. Some products are tanking while others are setting sales records. We’ll tell the story of how one airline has started selling airplane food in grocery stores. And why lipstick sales have tanked but plastic surgery is booming. Who wins and who loses is very surprising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E05 - It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superheroes in Advertising!
February 04, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, we explore superheroes in advertising. Superman was the archetype of the modern superhero and he was the archetype for how superheroes were used in ads. From Supe promoting Kellogg’s commercials in the 1950s to Batman hawking savings bonds to Batgirl advocating equal pay for equal work, stoic superheroes became the ultimate spokes-characters. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E04 - Escape Or Die Frying: The Art Of The Movie Poster
January 28, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.1 MBThis week, we look at the most famous movie posters of all time. The movie poster is the beginning of the story - often the first piece of marketing created for a new film. We’ll look at how posters are designed and we’ll analyze how the best posters of all time influenced ticket buyers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E03 - You're Soaking In It: Female Brand Icons
January 21, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.3 MBThis week, we learn about famous female brand icons. In a marketing world full of Mr. Cleans, Ronald McDonalds and Mr. Whipples, there are female brand characters that were just as successful - and some even lasted longer. Join us as we draw a direct line from Josephine the Plumber and Madge the Manicurist to Flo from Progressive. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E02 - Switch-Pitchers: When Spokespeople Change Brands
January 14, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBThis week, we explore what happens when an established spokesperson switches brands. We’ll tell the story of how the Verizon “Can you hear me now?” guy ended up pitching Sprint, how “The Most Interesting Man in the World” went from Dos Equis to tequila and how a spokesperson for a hamburger chain got fired when she pitched spaghetti sauce. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
S10E01 - The Times They Are A-Changin': Brands Crushed By Zeitgeist
January 07, 2021 00:10 - 27 minutes - 25.2 MBThis week, we explore how this new era of racial reckoning is affecting the world of marketing. Several of the leading brands have their roots in racial stereotypes, like Aunt Jemima - which took its imagery from the slave era. Some brands, like Eskimo Pies, have announced they are now re-naming their products and acknowledging their old names were offensive to indigenous people. We’ll also look at sports teams and their long history of controversy with team names. Hosted on Acast. See aca...
We're back January 7th
January 06, 2021 05:10 - 1 minute - 1.31 MBWe’ve got a fun 2021 season planned for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what's in store... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Under the Influence is back January 7th
January 06, 2021 05:10 - 1 minute - 1.31 MBWe’ve got a fun 2021 season planned for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what's in store...