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 ...
May 18, 2024•28 min•Ep 20•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
May 16, 2024•30 sec•Transcript available on Metacast 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 informa...
May 04, 2024•27 min•Ep 18•Transcript available on Metacast 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 a...
Apr 27, 2024•29 min•Ep 17•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Apr 20, 2024•27 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Apr 13, 2024•27 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Apr 06, 2024•28 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Mar 30, 2024•27 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast 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...
Mar 16, 2024•28 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Mar 11, 2024•38 min•Ep 1002•Transcript available on Metacast 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. Host...
Mar 09, 2024•28 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast 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....
Mar 02, 2024•27 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast This week, I ask a dozen of the top creative directors in the advertising business to tell me the best “demonstration commercials” they have ever seen. Because there is nothing more powerful than a dramatic product demonstration. We’ll talk about a famous Krazy Glue commercial. And a Volvo ad where the ad writer risked his life to demonstrate a point. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 24, 2024•27 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at the most creative audio ideas from around the world. Including a podcast for runners that only works if you’re actually running, a police recruitment campaign that capitalized on the popularity of True Crime, and a very ambitious alternative audio track created to be played over Disney’s Pocahontas movie – that tells the truth behind the fairy tale. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 10, 2024•27 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Recently, we produced an episode on cannabis marketing. With cannabis legalization, it’s a brand-new, challenging marketing category. As a result of that episode, I asked the Ontario Cannabis Store to introduce me to an actual cannabis producer. I wanted to know how a cannabis producer becomes licensed, how a craft cannabis company competes with the big companies, and how a small cannabis company markets its products in such a highly regulated category. In this bonus episode, I talk to Wallace M...
Feb 05, 2024•24 min•Ep 1001•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we analyze the remarkable marketing skills of one of the top music artists in the world – Taylor Swift. She has challenged the status quo at every turn – she regained ownership of her master recordings. She convinced Apple and Spotify to pay artists in a more equitable way. She defied Hollywood. She markets her music to her fans in very surprising ways. And holds over 70 Guinness World Records. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Feb 03, 2024•27 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we go one toke over the line and look at the emerging world of cannabis marketing. We start with the question - just how does a plant become illegal? We’ll explore the history of cannabis. We’ll talk about which celebrities have their own brands (Hello Willie Nelson!) Which high-end retail stores are now selling expensive cannabis paraphernalia. And which non-cannabis businesses are seeing a surprising uptick in sales - like fertilizer companies and fast-food restaurants. Hosted on Ac...
Jan 27, 2024•27 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Recently, we recorded a live show at Reid’s Distillery in Toronto. Reid’s is a great gin joint, and the vibe is a cool lounge with vintage tables and seating. There was no stage, so we recorded the podcast on the floor, with the audience seated all around us. In this episode, we talk about ads that are so bad… they become cult classics. Like the commercial where a woman has fallen and can’t get up, the local jeweller who wears tights and a cape in his ads, and that commercial where Patrick gets ...
Jan 20, 2024•29 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we look at copycat brands. Even though they walk a razor’s edge legally, copycat brands seem to pop up all over the world. You may like Walmart here, but there’s a Wumart in China. You may like North Face apparel, but did you know there was a South Butt brand? And, we’ll tell the story of a copycat cookie that overtook the original to become the best-selling cookie in the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 13, 2024•27 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast To kick off our 2024 season, we look at a strange phenomenon happening in Canada. Well-established brands are suddenly leaving the country. Kleenex is leaving after nearly 100 years. Skippy Peanut Butter has skipped the country after nearly 90 years. And KFC actually held a funeral for their terrible-tasting French fries. What’s happening up here? Find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Jan 06, 2024•27 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Happy New Year. We have a fun 2024 season planned for you. Here'a a sneak peek at what's in store... Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 02, 2024•1 min•Transcript available on Metacast Every once in a while, we drop an interesting show into our feed that we think you’ll like. This week, it’s “Twenty Thousand Hertz” - a show about the world’s most recognizable and interesting sounds. The show’s title comes from the highest frequency that can be perceived within the human hearing range. In this episode, host Dallas Taylor explores the world of advertising jingles. They used to be an advertising staple, but these days, most have disappeared. Except - for insurance company commerc...
Dec 05, 2023•36 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we turn the show over to listeners. It’s our annual “As Terry” show. We asked you to submit any questions you had about the advertising world, and you responded with a record amount of very interesting, very insightful ones that touch on subjects like negative political advertising, why there are so many bad local commercials, and what do background actors really say when their lips move. Join us for some surprising answers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more inform...
Nov 25, 2023•32 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, we invite you to our Book Club. We'll be telling stories from Terry's favourite advertising books, and will examine the incredible lessons they contain that have served him well for his entire career. By the way, a few of those books aren’t even about advertising. In fact, one is a book about science, and another is about theatre actors. But each one contains incredible wisdom that can be applied directly to the world of advertising and marketing. And everyday life. Hosted on Ac...
Nov 04, 2023•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast As you might know by now, the team behind Under The Influence has more podcasts executive produced by Terry. More on the Apostrophe Podcast Network can be found here . One of the podcasts we are very proud of just started its second season with Apostrophe. It's titled Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe . Backstage welcomes listeners into the warm and comforting world of the Vinyl Cafe. Each episode features stories about Canada’s favourite fictional family: Dave, Morley and the kids, narrated by the la...
Oct 21, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we’re going shopping. The topic is “Three Foot Marketing.” Research shows that 75% of shopping decisions are made in the store, and they are all made within the last three feet – meaning that critical distance between your shopping cart and the shelf. We’ll examine how stores use design, technology and psychology to influence your decisions - from the moment you walk in to when you line up at the cash. We’ll also look at the interesting tug-of-war that happens between stores and brands...
Oct 07, 2023•29 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we look at “Dynamic Duos” - those rare ad agency/client relationships that resulted in some of the most famous advertising of all time. We’ll examine the relationship between Nike founder Phil Knight and his ad agency creative director Dan Wieden, Apple’s Steve Jobs and Creative Director Lee Clow, tempermental winery owner Julio Gallo and his legendary creative director and tough guy, Hal Riney, and we’ll tell the story of the creative director who created a Hall of Fame cam...
Sep 23, 2023•33 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week we look at how smart marketers use Speed Bumps to generate greater sales. While modern marketing loves a friction-free fast transaction, smart marketers know that a perfectly-placed speed bump can slow the selling process down Plus, we reveal why Van Halen wanted all those brown M&Ms taken out of the bowls. You may be surprised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Sep 09, 2023•26 min•Transcript available on Metacast In case you missed it, the team behind Under the Influence has more podcasts. Five, to be exact. Executive produced by Terry O', meet the Apostrophe Podcast Company . Apostrophe brings you Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe , Surviving Life with Survivorman Les Stroud and We Regret To Inform You: The Rejection Podcast – where we tell stories of how the world’s most celebrated people overcame debilitating career rejection to achieve mammoth success. We Regret To Inf...
Sep 02, 2023•34 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week, Under The Influence listens to the sounds of persuasion. Advertising has used sound to sell for decades. But sound can be used for more than painting pictures on radio – sound can be carefully created to persuade. The stories behind those sounds are fascinating - from the earliest recorded sound, to the first use of sound in radio commercials, to signature sounds on famous ad campaigns, to the startup sound we hear on our computers every day. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
Aug 21, 2023•28 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
