Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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This week, we answer listener questions. We’ll talk about how bands create theme songs for TV shows and how much they get paid.  We’ll go back in time and talk about that flirtatious couple from that famous Nescafe TV campaign.  And we’ll explore why condom makers now market different sizes, when it used to be one-size-fits-all. What’s goin’ on there? We know you want to listen to all th...

This week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode. Every year, I list four brands I’ve admired from a distance. We’ll talk about a classic board game created by a Canadian couple. An ice cream chain founded by another Canadian. An iconic lighter that was named after a zipper. And a woman who is dominating television these days. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance...

Every company dreams of doubling its profit. It’s almost impossible to do. Yet, some companies do it by tweaking one tiny thing. We’ll talk about an industry that put three words on their packaging that doubled their profit. A company that created a catchy jingle that doubled their revenue overnight. And a business that changed one single word in a headline and their profit went up 100%. We know y...

This week, we shoot for the moon. Now that commercialized space travel has arrived, the world of marketing is setting its sights on the stars. We’ll talk about ads on rocket ships, ads on spacesuits, and television commercials filmed on the International Space Station. There are companies who want to employ hundreds of tiny satellites to create logos in the night sky. Some companies even want to p...

Occasionally, an old advertising campaign is brought back from the dead. Even if it has been off the air for decades. This week, we’ll discuss a recurring Coke commercial that has been called the most popular ad of all time. A much-loved beer campaign that has been revived after 34 years. And a controversial commercial that was yanked off the air in 1989, but was re-run again recently. We know you...

This week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode. We read a lot of books to research Under The Influence.  But there’s never enough room to include all the great stories we find. So this episode is dedicated to those great stories that didn’t fit into our  regular  episodes.  This year, our theme is bravery. We’ll tell an amusing story about how Danny DeVito made a bold decision whe...

This week, we go back in advertising history and take a look at the ads and commercials that could never, ever, EVER run today. They are either so politically incorrect, so sexist, or so inappropriate, you won’t believe your ears. From doctors recommending cigarettes, to 7-Up advertising to babies, to everyone singing about the joys of DDT, it’s amazing to think they all ran back in the day. &nbsp...

Almost every movie and television show needs cars, and auto companies are happy to supply them – because it helps sell a lot of cars. We’ll look back at  James Bond  and  Starsky & Hutch , and explore auto partnerships with movie franchises like  Transformers  and  Marvel . We’ll also tell a crazy story of how the most sought-after car from a Steve McQueen movie w...

Take a walk down any busy main street, and you’ll probably see one of the oldest forms of advertising: The sandwich board.   They have been around for over 200 years. Cities try and ban them. Storekeepers love them.   They can make you smile. They can make you angry. They can attract a lot of attention.   They are the pop-up ads of the physical world.   We know you want to list...

Customers often lie to companies in surveys, polls and focus groups. Yet advertisers rely on that flawed and false feedback to market brands and create advertising campaigns. So what are advertisers to do?   One solution is Google. What we type into the Google search window is like a truth serum. We all pour our most intimate, honest questions into that search box. We know you want to listen...

80% of all advertising is ignored. That’s why some advertisers employ cheeky advertising. It’s usually bold – outrageous – and sometimes even rude – but always with a playful undertone. We’ll talk about a fruit company that printed an open letter to the Pope. An airline campaign that told you to “keep it in your pants.” And a product that claims your grandparents had more sex than you.   We k...

Most tourism marketing aims at the largest audience possible. This week, we look at a sub-category aimed at the smallest audience possible: Billionaire Tourism.   The super wealthy get bored easily. That means luxury tour planners dream up extreme vacation ideas.  From outer space, to the bottom of the ocean, to secretly getting the key to the Sistine Chapel, it’s a whole new pricey worl...

There are some time-honored honorifics in the world of marketing. “Honorifics” are titles like Mr., Mrs., Doctor, Captain or Colonel.  Like  Colonel  Sanders,  Dr . Scholl’s,  Mr . Clean and  Mrs . Butterworth’s.   They’re usually leaders in their category. Is it because those products are the best? Or – is it because those brand names give the products a se...

Arkells is a band that likes to have fun. They are also a very smart band that understands the critical mix of artistry and marketing in a competitive industry. Frontman Max Kerman tells Terry the inventive ways they market their music, the creative ideas Arkells use to launch new material, and what marketing from other bands they admire. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On...

As Oscar night approaches, we head to theatres to figure out why movies about brands are so popular. “Barbie” is breaking box office records. “Air” tells the story of Nike signing Michael Jordan. “Blackberry” explains the spectacular rise and fall of the first smartphone – and is getting great reviews.  And a movie about the origins of McDonald’s – starring Michael Keaton - just might surpris...

Last week, we talked about the best historic demonstration commercials of all time. This week, we feature some of the most recent. Like an air freshener commercial that tricked blindfolded people into thinking a filthy toilet smelled like flowers. And a stunt where an ad agency put $3 million dollars between the glass of a bus shelter - unguarded, to demonstrate a point. We know you want to listen...

This week, I ask a dozen of the top creative directors in the advertising business to tell me the best “demonstration commercials” they have ever seen. Because there is nothing more powerful than a dramatic product demonstration. We’ll talk about a famous Krazy Glue commercial. And a Volvo ad where the ad writer risked his life to demonstrate a point. We know you want to listen to all the ads in t...

This week, we look at the most creative audio ideas from around the world.   Including a podcast for runners that only works if you’re actually running, a police recruitment campaign that capitalized on the popularity of True Crime, and a very ambitious alternative audio track created to be played over Disney’s Pocahontas movie – that tells the truth behind the fairy tale. We know you want to...

Recently, we produced an episode on cannabis marketing. With cannabis legalization, it’s a brand-new, challenging marketing category. As a result of that episode, I asked the Ontario Cannabis Store to introduce me to an actual cannabis producer. I wanted to know how a cannabis producer becomes licensed, how a craft cannabis company competes with the big companies, and how a small cannabis company...

This week, we analyze the remarkable marketing skills of one of the top music artists in the world – Taylor Swift. She has challenged the status quo at every turn – she regained ownership of her master recordings. She convinced Apple and Spotify to pay artists in a more equitable way. She defied Hollywood. She markets her music to her fans in very surprising ways. And holds over 70 Guinness World...

This week, we go one toke over the line and look at the emerging world of cannabis marketing. We start with the question - just how does a plant become illegal? We’ll explore the history of cannabis. We’ll talk about which celebrities have their own brands (Hello Willie Nelson!) Which high-end retail stores are now selling expensive cannabis paraphernalia. And which non-cannabis businesses are see...

Recently, we recorded a live show at Reid’s Distillery in Toronto. Reid’s is a great gin joint, and the vibe is a cool lounge with vintage tables and seating. There was no stage, so we recorded the podcast on the floor, with the audience seated all around us. In this episode, we talk about ads that are so bad… they become cult classics. Like the commercial where a woman has fallen and can’t get up...

This week, we look at copycat brands. Even though they walk a razor’s edge legally, copycat brands seem to pop up all over the world. You may like Walmart here, but there’s a Wumart in China. You may like North Face apparel, but did you know there was a South Butt brand? And, we’ll tell the story of a copycat cookie that overtook the original to become the best-selling cookie in the world. We know...

To kick off our 2024 season, we look at a strange phenomenon happening in Canada.   Well-established brands are suddenly leaving the country. Kleenex is leaving after nearly 100 years. Skippy Peanut Butter has skipped the country after nearly 90 years. And KFC actually held a funeral for their terrible-tasting French fries.   What’s happening up here? Find out.   We know you want to...