Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

I did a lot of commercials with Bob Newhart in the late 90s. He was one-in-a-million, a joy to work with, and he will be missed. And I want to tell you a very funny story that happened as a result of those commercials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Astrid Kirchherr holds a special place in the history of the Beatles. She took the famous Hamburg-era photos of the Beatles in their formative years, she inspired their “moptop” hairstyle, and she happened to fall in love with Stuart Sutcliffe, the fifth member of the Beatles. Her story is compelling, and her love of the Beatles, as friends, comes through in every word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Terry O’Reilly for a brand new Beatles series, where he interviews celebrities and collectors on their love of the Fab Four. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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%. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 put ads on the moon. And those ads might even be cheaper than Super Bowl commercials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 when he was auditioning for the sitcom Taxi. We’ll salute Lucille Ball’s bravery. And we’ll talk about how Jacques Plante revolutionized goaltending by being brave enough to defy his coach. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Under the Influence fans know that at the very end of each episode there’s a Fun Fact – an interesting little tidbit related to the show. Well, this year we’re asking you, our listeners, to record that Fun Fact. All you need is a phone or computer. Just visit our Fun Fact Page, follow the prompts and have fun with it. We choose two listeners every week – to be featured in the podcast and on CBC Radio. Happy recording. Oh, and keep checking back. The latest Fun Fact is refreshed every week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Ads that couldn’t run today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 was finally found – and the cosmic coincidence that led to its discovery. Cars are the stars. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 sense of respect and authority? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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 surprise you. They don’t only tell the brand stories, they each ask big, existential questions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.