This week, we profile the remarkable career of, arguably, the most successful women 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 to take a company public and the first women to intimidate the boys club of Madison Avenue. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 06, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 18
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 Alone for Google, nostalgia is a powerful marketing tool. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...
Apr 29, 2021•28 min•Season 10Ep. 17
This week, we tell crazy stories from the world of advertising. High pressure, big money and impossible deadlines makes for some hilarious situations. Including a TV shoot where a hot air balloon towing a new car goes missing in the wind and a cat food company who insists the ad agency eat the cat food before they create the ads. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informatio...
Apr 22, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 16
This week, we dive into the world of Fan Clubs. They are 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 the big shift in power that swung from celebrities over to their fans. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 15, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 15
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 that year. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 08, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 14
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 how the Tony awards can rescue a play overnight. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 01, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 13
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 created for these confusing times and a student audio idea that attracted Taylor Swift. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 25, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 12
This week, 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 Nachos Anaya and the leotard was invented by a Jules Leotard. We’ll even look at some inventors who wish their names had been forgotten… We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/...
Mar 18, 2021•26 min•Season 10Ep. 11
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 had a heavenly idea. All achieved something that had never been done before. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 11, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 10
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 have fascinating stories to tell. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Mar 04, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 9
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, the most recent billboards in the sky and some of the most amusing spelling errors. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 25, 2021•28 min•Season 10Ep. 8
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 why lipstick sales have tanked but plastic surgery is booming. Who wins and who loses is very surprising. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for mo...
Feb 18, 2021•28 min•Season 10Ep. 7
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 Supe promoting Kellogg’s commercials in the 1950s to Batman hawking savings bonds to Batgirl advocating equal pay for equal work, stoic superheroes became the ultimate spokes-characters. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pri...
Feb 04, 2021•28 min•Season 10Ep. 5
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 designed and we’ll analyze how the best posters of all time influenced ticket buyers. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 28, 2021•27 min•Season 10Ep. 4
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 as we draw a direct line from Josephine the Plumber and Madge the Manicurist to Flo from Progressive. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more informati...
Jan 21, 2021•28 min•Season 10Ep. 3
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 Dos Equis to tequila and how a spokesperson for a hamburger chain got fired when she pitched spaghetti sauce. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Jan 14, 2021•28 min•Season 10Ep. 2
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 - which took its imagery from the slave era. Some brands, like Eskimo Pies, have announced they are now re-naming their products and acknowledging their old names were offensive to indigenous people. We’ll also look at sports teams and their long history of controversy with team names. We know you want to listen to ...
Jan 07, 2021•28 min•Season 10Ep. 1
We’ve got a fun 2021 season planned for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what's in store... We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 06, 2021•1 min
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 lead actor, why Gatorade’s famous Be Like Mike campaign called Michael Jordan “Mike” when no one ever called him that before and we’ll answer the age-old question - why are there so many bad ads? We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more ...
Jun 25, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 26
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 details of traumatic events and even to famous commercials, we all think our memories are time-stamped videos of our lives. But they are not. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on A...
Jun 18, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 25
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 weaponized diseases for political purposes. As with all branding, words matter. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privac...
Jun 10, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 24
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 beat a path to your door. And we’ll tell a story from a biography of Bruce Lee that proves sometimes the only way to sell a product is to increase its price. Throw on your reading glasses and join us for Bookmarks 2020. We know you want to listen to all the ads in ...
Jun 04, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 23
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 - and some nicknames like “Whole Paycheck” don’t make Whole Foods happy. Join us this week as we explore the implications of brand nicknames. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 21, 2020•28 min•Season 9Ep. 21
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 story about a one-armed martial artist to the unorthodox ways lovers communicated in the Victorian era to the story of the greatest racehorse of all time. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on ...
May 14, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 20
80 to 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 of successful product launches as well as a few notable product disasters. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
May 07, 2020•28 min•Season 9Ep. 19
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 a doorway that leads to winning an account - or losing it. Talk ain’t cheap. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 30, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 18
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 and a certain cream cheese with its very own spokes-angel. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 16, 2020•28 min•Season 9Ep. 16
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 the product. Unless, that is, the torture test goes very wrong… We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 09, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 15
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 those reviews are so influential. Yet how do you tell fake ones from the real thing? Thumbs up or thumbs down, welcome to the world of online reviews. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr...
Apr 02, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 14
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 effects and whispers. Everything from beer brands to fast food restaurants are using it - hoping that tingling sensation leads to a cash register. We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t , subscrib...
Mar 26, 2020•27 min•Season 9Ep. 13
