Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

This week, we look at candy bar advertising. Millions are spent marketing candy bars every year. We'll talk about how the movie Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was owned by a candy company. And we'll reveal whether it really was Phil Collins inside that gorilla costume in that famous Cadbury Dairy Milk commercial. -------- Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code TERRY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/terry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From our Season 11 Archives, one of our favourites. This 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. -------- Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code TERRY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/terry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, it’s our annual Ask Terry episode. As we do every year, we open the show to questions from our listeners. This week, we’ll answer a question about the longest-lasting slogans in history, we’ll explore why there is so much dancing going on in commercials these days, and we’ll play a fun game where you have to guess the celebrity voice. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dramatic car stunts are not just the stuff of movies. They’re also the stuff of car commercials. We’ll talk about one ad where skydivers risked their lives spelling out the word “Honda” in the sky, a commercial where a car speeds on the roof of a skyscraper, and a story about a car that was dropped from an airplane - and the parachute didn’t work. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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

This week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode. We look at four brands that I admire. One is a cosmetics empire started by a woman in an era when women couldn’t even vote. One is a band I have a soft spot for. Another is a family-owned business that has lasted 88 years. The fourth is a TV show that broke records. And they all have one thing in common – they succeeded against all odds. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we talk about Pet Marketing. The pet products industry is worth about $150 billion dollars. And when you love a pet, money is no object. We’ll listen to a pet food campaign that had dogs conduct a symphony orchestra. We’ll flip through IKEA’s CAT-alogues and DOG-alogues. And we’ll explore Dolly Parton’s “Doggy Parton” fashion line. ----- Looking for where to find a discount on the Saily data plan? Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code TERRY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/terry 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 this show, and often we stumble on great stories that don’t fit our regular episodes. So we save them up for this show. We’ll talk about a new book on SNL producer Lorne Michaels, we’ll take a few notes from a famous songwriter, and we’ll talk about a Bible with a wicked typo. -------- Looking for where to find a discount on the Saily data plan? Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code TERRY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/terry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we look at how the marketing industry seizes pop culture moments. We’ll talk about a website that got national attention by making a bold prediction about a TV show. How A1 Steak Sauce caught the funniest – and luckiest break. And how Pepsi grabbed a hilarious opportunity by following pizza delivery drivers. -------- Looking for where to find a discount on the Saily data plan? Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code TERRY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/terry Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we look at public service announcements. PSAs have to compete with - not just other PSAs - but with all other commercials out there. And do it with an iota of the budget. It requires exceptional creativity. We’ll talk about how Elvis got teens to get a polio vaccine, and a drinking & driving commercial recorded by drunk actors. -------- Looking for where to find a discount on the Saily data plan? Get an exclusive 15% discount on Saily data plans! Use code TERRY at checkout. Download Saily app or go to https://saily.com/terry" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Peter Wilken has over 40 years experience working with the world’s top brands. He has run advertising agency networks around the world. In our far-reaching conversation, Peter brings battle-tested insights to the table, tells us interesting stories about the brands he’s worked for, how to manage creative people, and explains the critical difference between branding and brand building. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Arkells frontman Max Kerman has written his first book, “Try Hard: Creative Work in Progress.” Max talks about what a lead singer for a band does all day, the nuts and bolts of song writing, how he prepares for a show - but more importantly - Max talks about how the creative process is not all about talent, it’s about curiosity, enthusiasm, and learning how to work hard and enjoy ever minute of it. And in this interview, Max gives you a framework for how to bring more creativity into your life and where to begin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It was big news recently that Amazon is taking over creative control of the James Bond franchise. So this week, we look at how James Bond has been employed to pitch products over the years. From high-end watches, to beer, liquor and breakfast cereals, 007 has been busy. And even the Bond villains have been hawking products. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we have some fun and listen to commercial outtakes. Just like the movies, there are multiple takes, lots of pressure, and mistakes happen. Sometimes actors get the words all mixed up to hilarious results. Sometimes celebrities have melt-downs. And sometimes professional actors just break down in a fit of the giggles. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we’ll tell the stories behind some of the most famous – and infamous – sports star endorsements of all time. We’ll talk about a Rocket Richard commercial that spawned a catchphrase that nearly every Boomer can recite. We’ll look at a powerful Nike commercial Serena Williams did about women in sports. And we’ll talk about what it took to put quarterback Joe Namath in pantyhose. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we ask an interesting question: What is the busiest day of the year for pizza delivery companies, Airbnb, Emergency Rooms, Maternity Wards, restaurants and dating apps? What is the busiest day of the year for weddings? And what is the busiest day of the year for… plumbers? It’s all fascinating – and often very surprising. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we thought it would be timely to retrieve this episode from our archives. A Brand Envy episode in celebration of Canadian brands. We’ll look at what may be the most successful global retailer Canada has ever built, a television pioneer worshipped and revered by generations of Canadians and a world-class brand that operates out of the smallest village in New Brunswick. We’ve certainly bred some amazing brands up here in the Great White North. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we take a look at one of the tools of political marketing – the campaign song. Politicians have used songs going all the way back to at least the 1700s. Sometimes the songs are written expressly for the political party or candidate. Sometimes, politicians co-opt pop songs. And sometimes, pop artists have a major problem with that. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Recorded before a live audience at Reid’s Distillery, this episode lists some of the biggest brand fails of 2024. We’ll talk about when Apple launched its thinnest computer ever, which led to a big fat PR problem. We’ll look at a seasonal candle that fired up accusations of white supremacy. And we’ll try and figure out how a children’s doll package ended up listing the URL for a porn site. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, movie theatres have to compete with home theatre systems and streaming services. This week, we look at how cinemas are transforming to attract more movie goers. To survive, theatres now offer restaurant meals and full bar menus. They offer loyalty programs and special theme nights. And many cinemas now offer patrons “atmospheric” movie experiences – where wind blows through your hair, rain falls from the ceiling, and seats not only jolt back and forth, they also emit smells that mirror the action on the screen. It puts the motion in motion picture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.