Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly
Episodes
S10E14 - One Toke Over The Line: 50-Year Marketing Milestones
08 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ar...
S10E13 - Red Carpet Marketing: The Business of Award Shows
01 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at televised award shows and how they are very effective marketing for movies, Broadway plays and recording artists. We’ll explor...
S10E12 - Air Quotes: Creative Radio 2021
25 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
S10E11 - Brands Are People, Too: Products Named After Inventors (Encore)
18 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore famous products named after their inventors. Some products are so cemented in our minds we forget those names&nbs...
S10E10 - Brand Envy 2021
11 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode. This season, we look at four unique companies. One completely changed a sport forever. One becam...
S10E09 - The Future Is Furry: Animals In Advertising
04 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 orig...
S10E08 - Celestial Advertising: The Art of Skywriting
25 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 sen...
S10E07 - It’s Finger Lickin’ Bad: Marketing in the Time of Covid
18 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
S10E05 - It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superheroes in Advertising!
04 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore superheroes in advertising. Superman was the archetype of the modern superhero and he was the archetype for how superheroes were...
S10E04 - Escape Or Die Frying: The Art Of The Movie Poster
28 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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 market...
S10E03 - You're Soaking In It: Female Brand Icons
21 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we learn about famous female brand icons. In a marketing world full of Mr. Cleans, Ronald McDonalds and Mr. Whipples, there are f...
S10E02 - Switch-Pitchers: When Spokespeople Change Brands
14 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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?...
S10E01 - The Times They Are A-Changin': Brands Crushed By Zeitgeist
07 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
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...
We're back January 7th
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
We’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...
S9E26 - Ask Terry 2020
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Well, this week it’s our annual show where we answer listener questions. Like - why the most popular Super Bowl commercial chose to replace their le...
S9E25 - You Must Remember This: The Mandela Effect
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re talking about the Mandela Effect. It is defined as “collective false memory.” That means many of us remember things incorrectly ...
S9E24 - Branding A Disease
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the branding of diseases. Over the course of history, diseases have been named after people and countries with devastating effec...
S9E23 - Bookmarks 2020
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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....
S9E21 - Fix It Again, Tony: Brand Nicknames
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 Co...
S9E20 - Setting The Table: Best Opening Stories
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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,...
S9E19 - Flip, Flop or Fly: The World of Test Markets
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
80 to 90% of new product launches fail. So to lower the risk, companies do trial runs. This week, we explore Test Markets - w...
S9E18 - Talk Ain’t Cheap: How Conversations Impact Business
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 i...
S9E16 - Brand Envy 2020
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
S9E15 - Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking: Advertising Torture Tests
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the world of torture tests. Torture test commercials are one of the advertising industry’s most powerful t...
S9E14 - Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down: The New World of Online Reviews
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 r...
S9E13 - Lend Us Your Ears: The Intimate Art of ASMR Marketing
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the quiet world of ASMR marketing. ASMR stands for Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response. It’s a new f...
S9E11 - For Better or For Worse: Wedding Marketing
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dum dum da dum. This week, we explore the lucrative world of Wedding Marketing. Weddings are big, big business. As a result, ...
S9E10 - Come Fly With Me: Airports Are Now Brands
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore how airports are now becoming brands. You may not know it, but airports compete against each other for business. That ...
S9E09 - Search Parties: The Relentless Hunt For New Customers
27 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the surprising ideas companies use to attract new customers. Like “Finger Lickin’ Good” nail polish from KF...
S9E08 - The Name Game: Brand Names In Different Countries
20 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore why companies change valuable brand names when expanding to other countries. Sometimes the reason is a language issue....
S9E06 - Set Jetting: Film Locations As Tourism Marketing
06 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 T...
S9E05 - Sound + Vision: Album Covers As Marketing, Part Two
30 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s Part Two of our Album Covers As Marketing episode. In the 1980’s, album covers shrunk down for the first time ...
S9E04 - Sound + Vision: Album Covers As Marketing
23 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Under the Influence, we analyze album covers as marketing. We’ll look at a world famous record cover that was almos...
S9E03 - Putting Fans In Stands: How Sports Teams Sell Tickets
16 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at the fascinating ways sports teams market themselves. We’ll unpack why one stadium replaced its ushers with librarians, why ano...
S9E02 - Goliath Meet David: Small Brands That Beat The Big Boys
09 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we analyze how small brands outsmart their giant counterparts. We’ll look at a snack food company with a cult-like following that ou...
S9E01 - Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel: Marketing TV Shows
02 Jan 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we step into the highly competitive world of Television Marketing. Between Netflix, Amazon and Crave, the mar...
S8E25 - Ask Terry 2019
20 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s the final episode of our 2019 season: Ask Terry. And as we do every year, we’re turning this show over to you, our listeners, and ...
S8E24 - God Save The Commercial: When Ads Are Banned
13 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at banned commercials. The majority of the time, ads are banned for being sexist or too suggestive. But many commerc...
S8E23 - The Risk in the Asterisk: Fine Print & Advertising Disclaimers
06 Jun 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we unpack the nuanced world of Advertising Disclaimers. We’ll look at the most absurd product disclaimers of all...
S8E22 - Bookmarks 2019
30 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual Bookmarks episode - where we tell fascinating stories from our research that didn’t make it into the regular seaso...
S8E21 - Brand Envy 2019
23 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual look at brands I admire. They may not be the coolest or the biggest brands – but the...
S8E20 - To Bleep Or Not To Bleep: Vulgar Trademarks
16 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at the use of profanity in marketing and the resulting upsurge in Vulgar Trademarks. Four-letter word...
S8E19 - Selling The Dream: Real Estate Advertising (An Encore Presentation)
09 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at the fine art of selling the dream. The world of Real Estate Marketing has its own rules, its own techniques and its own unique b...
S8E18 - Under The Influence of My Influences
02 May 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, I’ll be sharing some of the major influences in my life that helped inform my thinking and shape my career. ...
S8E17 - Best Product In A Leading Role: Celebrity CEOs
25 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at celebrities with their own brands. From a small town general store owned by a comedian to a c...
S8E16 - Red Sheep: The Power of Word-Of-Mouth Advertising
18 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore Word of Mouth Advertising. Most businesses hope good products and excellent service are enough to encourage positive r...
S8E15 - Little Big Towns: Roadside Attractions As Marketing
11 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore roadside attractions as marketing. Interesting and often quirky landmarks that put small towns on the map. We’ll look at&...
S8E14 - Disgustingly Effective: Marketing of Bodily Functions
04 Apr 2019
Contributed by Lukas
Do you know which mascot is the most recognized but least liked on TV? This week, we look at disgusting but effective advertising mascots. F...
S8E12 - Objection Overruled: Law Firm Advertising
21 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the world of law firm advertising. Some of it good, some of it bad, but a handful of it highly creative. We’ll break...
S8E11 - Air Quality: Rule-Breaking Radio Advertising
14 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we listen to the innovative ways marketers are using sound around the world. We’ll explore how the words of an anthem in S...
S8E10 - Distress Purchases
07 Mar 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the world of distress purchases. Distress purchases are the things we need in life, but quietly resent having to pay f...
S8E09 - Unwitting Endorsers
28 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the world of unwitting endorsers. Sometimes a celebrity is featured in an advertising campaign without&...
Putting The Woo In Hollywood: Marketing The Movies
21 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, just in time for the Oscars, we look at some of the most innovative movie marketing. From advertising an R-ra...
S8E07 - The Most Interesting Adman in The World: The Story of Albert Lasker (An Encore Presentation)
14 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we tell the story of the most interesting adman in the world - Albert Lasker. Lasker had a hand in influencing professional baseball, Plan...
S8E06 - The Pompatus of Skippy: Brand Names In Songs
07 Feb 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at the use of brand names in songs. Sometimes lyrical mentions lead to major brand success. Other times, to lawsuits...
S8E05 - Monastic Merchandise: Products Made By Monks
31 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at products made by monks. Monks create a myriad of merchandise that is sold to the public. Some sing and sell CDs o...
S8E04 - Vending Machines: Coin-Operated Marketing
24 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the fascinating world of vending machines. Vending machines aren’t just soft drink dispensers, they’re marketing m...
S8E03 - A Matter of Time: The History of Commercial Lengths
18 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at the history of commercial lengths. From the very first 10-minute radio commercial in 1922, to five-second commercials ...
S8E02 - Wacky Ad Spaces
10 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week on Under The Influence, we look at unusual and unexpected advertising placements. As the world of marketing gets more and more cluttere...
S8E01 - Jumping The Shark: Spokesperson Disasters
03 Jan 2019
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at spokesperson disasters. Hiring a celebrity spokesperson is an advertising strategy many brands can only dream of. But famou...
S7E25 - Ask Terry 2018
21 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual Ask Terry episode - where we answer listener questions on the air. From the inspiration behind our theme song, to wh...
S7E24 - Fasten Your Seatbelts: How Self-Driving Cars and Marketing Collide
14 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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 a...
S7E23 - How Tourism Survives A Tragedy
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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. A...
S7E22 - Guinness Book of World Ad Records
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
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...
S7E21 - Marching Orders: Household Products Invented by the Military
24 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at products invented by the military. The military has influenced more technology than any government, agency, business or org...
S7E20 - Avon Calling: Door-To-Door Marketing
18 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the art of door-to-door sales. From encyclopaedias, to make-up, to vacuum cleaners, many corporations were built on th...
S7E18 - Lemonade: Marketing A Negative
03 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at brands that aren’t afraid to celebrate their weaknesses. As a rule, no company ever wants to point a neon sign at its fla...
S7E17 - Bookmarks 2018
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual look at brands I admire. They may not be the hippest, the latest or the coolest, but I envy them...
S7E16 - Brand Envy 2018
19 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual look at brands I admire. They may not be the hippest, the latest or the coolest, but I envy them...
S7E15 - Hey Vern! When Ads Go Hollywood
12 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at commercials that made the unlikely leap…to Hollywood. Some became big hit movies, others inspired popular songs. One even...
S7E13 - Famous Jingles, Part Two
29 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s part two of our Jingles episode. Jingles had a great run until the late ‘80s, then songs overtook them. But a few big jingles...
S7E12 - Famous Jingles
22 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the use of jingles in advertising. So many brands were built on the backs of jingles. From the Big Mac, to Smarti...
S7E11 - Brands Are People, Too: Products Named After Inventors
15 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore famous products named after their inventors. Some products are so cemented in our minds we forget those names&nbs...
S7E10 - Worthless To Priceless
09 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at products that went from worthless to priceless. Products someone created out of something everyone else ignored. It might b...
S7E09 - Celebrities: Living To Tell The Tales
02 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the world of celebrities in advertising. We’ll tell the story of a super shy mega star at one of her very first gigs, how Alan...
S7E08 - Kentucky Fried Brand Myths
23 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we debunk urban brand myths. Myths that live on as assumed facts in marketing textbooks, MBA courses, endless business seminars and dinner ...
S7E07 - Comic Book Ads
16 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the fascinating world of Comic Book Advertising. A world where Sea-Monkeys could be trained, X-Ray Specs saw through clothes, C...
S7E06 - A Wild & Crazy Idea: How Companies Solve Big, Hairy Problems
09 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore how marketers solve difficult problems. We’ll look at how Monty Python stopped piracy by giving away content for free, how a w...
S7E05 - Delicious Names: Marketing Appetite Appeal
02 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore how marketers saved certain foods from oblivion by changing…their names. Many foods you enjoy started out life with very&...
S7E04 - Underwear In Your Mailbox: Subscription Marketing
26 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we delve into the emerging world of subscription marketing. Did you know you could have underwear sent to your door every month? How a...
S7E03 - Damn The Torpedoes
19 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore the advertising campaigns that had everything stacked against them and yet went on to become hugely successful. The resistance m...
S7E02 - I See A Little Silhouetto Of A Brand: How Old School Products Survive
12 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we analyze how old school products survive in the 21st century. Many brands can’t keep up with the digital age, but others have foun...
S7E01 - Put It Between Your Knees and Squeeze: Marketing A Fad
05 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore how some of the craziest fads are marketed. We'll look at how one student's school project changed the way we sleep, why a singl...
S6E26 - Ask Terry 2017
29 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week marks the final episode of the 2017 Under The Influence season. And as we do every year, we're turning this show over to you, our listeners....
S6E25 - Bookmarks 2017
22 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual Bookmarks episode. The research team at Under The Influence does a lot of reading over the year, and finds a lot of ...
S6E24 - Cannes Creative Advertising Be Effective?
15 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we journey to Cannes, France for the Cannes International Advertising Festival. It’s the most revered advertising competition in the worl...
S6E23 - Now Splinter Free: How Marketing Broke Taboos
08 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore how some of society's biggest taboos were broken by marketers. We’ll look at why toilet paper was a hush-hush product in the 1...
S6E22 - The Lean Mean Money Machine: How Marketing Affects Sports
01 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we analyze how marketing affects the sports world. We’ll look at the massive influence that comes with owning the rights to the...
S6E20 - The Most Interesting Adman in the World: The Story of Albert Lasker
18 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we tell the story of the most interesting adman in the world - Albert Lasker. Lasker had a hand in influencing professional baseball, Plann...
S6E19 - Brand Envy: #CANADA150
11 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s our annual episode where we explore brands I admire. And in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, this year’s brands are all C...
S6E18 - Grab Your Wallet: When Brands Go Political
05 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we explore how brands are becoming political for the first time in history. We’ll look at what happens when major retailers decide to “...
S6E16 - Guys and Dolls: Gender Marketing, Part II
20 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, it’s part two of our Gender Marketing show. In this episode, we’ll look at how companies that have historically marketed to one gender ...
S6E15 - Guys and Dolls: Gender Marketing, Part I
13 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we delve into the controversial world of Gender Marketing. How did it all start? Why are aisles and products separated by gender? Why do so...
S6E14 - Selling The Dream: Real Estate Advertising
06 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we look at the fine art of selling the dream. The world of Real Estate Marketing has its own rules, its own techniques and its own unique b...
S6E13 - The Wizarding World of Influencer Marketing
30 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we peek into the emerging world of influencer marketing. Today, the most popular social media Influencers aren't celebrities, they're regul...
S6E11 - The Frankenstein Factor: Inventors Who Regret Their Inventions
16 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we analyze inventors who later came to regret their inventions. Sometimes it's because the product ended up being harmful. Other times it's...
S6E10 - The Odd Couple: Unlikely Marketing Collaborations
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we look at what happens when seemingly unrelated companies decide to partner up. By pooling their resources and, more importantly, by...
S6E09 - The Elephant In The Room: Humane Marketing vs. Profit
03 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we explore the controversial topic of Humane Marketing. From circuses to SeaWorld to fashion runways to fast food restaurants, each i...
S6E08 - Brands In Cars Getting Coffee: Sponsorship Marketing
24 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we enter the delicate world of Sponsorship Marketing. Close to 20 billion sponsorship dollars are spent each year in North America. That mo...
S6E06 - Lead Balloons: When Negative Brand Names Work
10 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we peek into the emerging world of influencer marketing. Today, the most popular social media Influencers aren't celebrities, they're regul...