Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

By CBC Radio

Society & Culture

What's Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly about?

Under The Influence gives you a rare backstage pass into the hallways, boardrooms and recording studios of the ad industry.
Join host and adman Terry O’Reilly for fascinating stories that connect the dots between pop culture, marketing and human nature.

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S10E25 - Ask Terry 2021

06.24.2021

This week, it’s our annual Ask Terry episode where we answer listener questions. We’ll delve into why creative advertising agencies have such boring names, what has changed most - and least - since the Mad Men era and why the ...

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly episodes:

06.24.2021 S10E25 - Ask Terry 2021 This week, it’s our annual Ask Terry episode where we answer listener questions. We’ll delve into why creative advertising agencies have such boring names, what has changed most - and least - since the Mad Men era and why the ...
06.17.2021 S10E24 - Can’t Get Enough of the Wonderful Duff: Fake Hollywood Brands This 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 ...
06.10.2021 S10E23 - Tombstone Tourists: The Growth of Cemetery Tourism This week, we explore Cemetery Tourism. Before the pandemic stopped travel in its tracks, graveyards were becoming tourist hotspots. Millions of people are choosing vacation destinations based on the final resting places of famous people. And cemeteries are using marketing ...
06.03.2021 S10E22 - The Show Must Go On: Broadway Marketing This 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, ...
05.27.2021 S10E21 - Too Many Turk Brodas: Trading Card Marketing This 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 ...
05.20.2021 S10E20 - Bookmarks 2021 This week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode, where we tell the fascinating stories from our research that didn’t fit into the regular season. Including a little-known backstory of the 1972 Canada/Russia hockey series and a moving story about another hockey ...
05.06.2021 S10E18 - There’s Something About Mary: Mad Woman Mary Wells This week, we profile the remarkable career of, arguably, the most successful woman 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 ...
04.29.2021 S10E17 - Son of Crocodile Dundee: Nostalgia Advertising This 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 ...
04.22.2021 S10E16 - I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing: Surviving The Ad Biz This week, we tell crazy stories from the world of advertising. High pressure, big money and impossible deadlines make for some hilarious situations. Like a TV shoot where a hot air balloon towing a new car went missing in the ...
04.15.2021 S10E15 - Who Will Buy My Memories: Fan Club Marketing This week, we dive into the world of Fan Clubs and how they're 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 ...
04.08.2021 S10E14 - One Toke Over The Line: 50-Year Marketing Milestones This 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 ...
04.01.2021 S10E13 - Red Carpet Marketing: The Business of Award Shows This 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 ...
03.25.2021 S10E12 - Air Quotes: Creative Radio 2021 This 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 ...
03.18.2021 S10E11 - Brands Are People, Too: Products Named After Inventors (Encore) This week, in an encore episode, 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 ...
03.11.2021 S10E10 - Brand Envy 2021 This 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 ...
03.04.2021 S10E09 - The Future Is Furry: Animals In Advertising This 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 ...
02.25.2021 S10E08 - Celestial Advertising: The Art of Skywriting This 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, ...
02.18.2021 S10E07 - It’s Finger Lickin’ Bad: Marketing in the Time of Covid This 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 ...
02.04.2021 S10E05 - It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superheroes in Advertising! This 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 Superman promoting Kellogg’s in the 1950s to Batman hawking savings bonds to ...
01.28.2021 S10E04 - Escape Or Die Frying: The Art Of The Movie Poster This 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 ...
01.21.2021 S10E03 - You're Soaking In It: Female Brand Icons This 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 ...
01.14.2021 S10E02 - Switch-Pitchers: When Spokespeople Change Brands This 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 ...
01.07.2021 S10E01 - The Times They Are A-Changin': Brands Crushed By Zeitgeist Welcome to Season 10. It's good to be back. This 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 ...
01.06.2021 We're back January 7th We’ve got a fun 2021 season planned for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what's in store...
06.25.2020 S9E26 - Ask Terry 2020 This week it’s our final episode of the 2020 season, where we answer listener questions sent to us through social media. Like - why the most popular Super Bowl commercial chose to replace their lead actor, why Gatorade’s famous "Be ...
06.18.2020 S9E25 - You Must Remember This: The Mandela Effect This week we’re talking about the Mandela Effect. It is defined as “collective false memory.” That means many of us remember things incorrectly and we all remember them incorrectly the same way. From famous movie lines to song lyrics to ...
06.10.2020 S9E24 - Branding A Disease This week, we explore the branding of diseases. Over the course of history, diseases have been named after people and countries with devastating effects. Names have stigmatized entire regions, decimated industries and have even caused diplomatic crises. And countries have ...
06.04.2020 S9E23 - Bookmarks 2020 This week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode, where we tell fascinating stories from our research that didn't make it into the regular season. We’ll talk about a book that maintains if you build a better mousetrap, the world will NOT ...
05.21.2020 S9E21 - Fix It Again, Tony: Brand Nicknames Some people call Under The Influence "UTI" for short. It’s not a good nickname. But some brand nicknames are positive and extremely valuable - like "Coke" and "Chevy." Others like “Whole Paycheck” don’t make Whole Foods happy. Join us this ...
05.14.2020 S9E20 - Setting The Table: Best Opening Stories Every episode of Under The Influence begins with an opening story. And after more than 300 episodes, we’ve told over 300 opening stories. This week, we look back at the ones that generated the most listener feedback - from a ...
05.07.2020 S9E19 - Flip, Flop or Fly: The World of Test Markets 80-90% of new product launches fail. So to lower the risk, companies do trial runs. This week, we explore Test Markets - where companies launch new products in small towns to see if shoppers pay attention. We’ll tell the stories ...
04.30.2020 S9E18 - Talk Ain’t Cheap: How Conversations Impact Business This week, we explore how business can be won or lost with spontaneous off-hand remarks. Not all advertising business is conducted in a boardroom or in commercials. Sometimes somebody says something in an elevator, or in a speech or in ...
04.16.2020 S9E16 - Brand Envy 2020 This week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode, where I tell the stories behind some of the brands I admire. We’ll talk about a romance novel company that was started by a fur trader, an empire created by a cartoonist ...
04.09.2020 S9E15 - Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking: Advertising Torture Tests This week, we explore the world of Torture Tests. Torture test commercials are one of the advertising industry’s most powerful techniques - because when a product can survive a dramatic test, it can convince a lot of people to buy ...
04.02.2020 S9E14 - Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down: The New World of Online Reviews This week, we explore the world of Online Reviews. These days you can leave a review for anything - from a cup of coffee to your dentist. 90% of us read online reviews before buying a product - that’s why ...
03.26.2020 S9E13 - Lend Us Your Ears: The Intimate Art of ASMR Marketing This week, we explore the quiet world of ASMR marketing. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It’s a new form of marketing that creates a calming feeling often accompanied by a tingling sensation. Marketers create that experience using sound ...
03.12.2020 S9E11 - For Better or For Worse: Wedding Marketing Dum dum da dum. This week, we explore the lucrative world of Wedding Marketing. Weddings are big, big business. And as a result, the wedding industry is a big, big marketing category. From invitations and flowers to dresses and cakes, ...
03.05.2020 S9E10 - Come Fly With Me: Airports Are Now Brands This week, we explore how airports are now becoming brands. You may not know it, but airports compete against each other for business. That intense rivalry has led to the complete transformation of airports - they now have movie theatres, ...
02.27.2020 S9E09 - Search Parties: The Relentless Hunt For New Customers This week, we explore the surprising ideas companies use to attract new customers. Like “Finger Lickin’ Good” nail polish from KFC. Or NASCAR’s partnership with Harlequin romance novels. The search for new customers is endless. And the resulting marketing is ...
02.20.2020 S9E08 - The Name Game: Brand Names In Different Countries This week, we explore why companies change valuable brand names when expanding to other countries. Sometimes the reason is a language issue. But other times, the reasons are far more interesting. For example, Mr. Clean is called Meister Proper in ...
02.06.2020 S9E06 - Set Jetting: Film Locations As Tourism Marketing This week, we look at the phenomenon of Set Jetting. That’s when tourists flock to a city to see the sets and locations where their favourite TV shows and movies are filmed. Some towns have embraced set jetting as new-found ...
02.03.2020 S7E25 (Archive) - Ask Terry 2018 From the Digital Box Set: This week marks the final episode of Season 7. And as we do every year, we're turning this show over to you, our listeners. We'll be answering all the marketing and advertising questions you've sent ...
02.03.2020 S7E24 (Archive) - Fasten Your Seatbelts: How Self-Driving Cars and Marketing Collide From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at how self-driving cars affect the world of marketing. While it may seem like a bit of a novelty these days, the era of the autonomous car is fast approaching. And ...
02.03.2020 S7E23 (Archive) - How Tourism Survives A Tragedy From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at how tourism survives a tragedy. When a city experiences a massive crisis, it must find a way to restore its tourism. All cities rely on tourism - it is often ...
02.03.2020 S7E22 (Archive) - Guinness Book of World Ad Records From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at the ad industry’s place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The aim of all advertising is to create selling ideas that are impossible to ignore. From the world’s largest ...
02.02.2020 S7E25 (Archive) - Ask Terry 2018 From the Digital Box Set: This week marks the final episode of Season 7. And as we do every year, we're turning this show over to you, our listeners. We'll be answering all the marketing and advertising questions you've sent ...
02.02.2020 S7E24 (Archive) - Fasten Your Seatbelts: How Self-Driving Cars and Marketing Collide From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at how self-driving cars affect the world of marketing. While it may seem like a bit of a novelty these days, the era of the autonomous car is fast approaching. And ...
02.02.2020 S7E23 (Archive) - How Tourism Survives A Tragedy From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at how tourism survives a tragedy. When a city experiences a massive crisis, it must find a way to restore its tourism. All cities rely on tourism - it is often ...
02.02.2020 S7E22 (Archive) - Guinness Book of World Ad Records From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at the ad industry’s place in the Guinness Book of World Records. The aim of all advertising is to create selling ideas that are impossible to ignore. From the world’s largest ...
01.30.2020 S9E05 - Sound + Vision: Album Covers As Marketing, Part Two This week, it’s Part Two of our Album Covers As Marketing episode. In the 1980s, album covers shrunk down for the first time to accommodate CDs. And in the 2000s, the advent of iPods shrunk them again to the size ...

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