Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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.

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This week, we explore how advertisers market to people with disabilities.

 Disabled people are usually ignored in advertising campaigns.

 Yet people with disabilities control half a trillion dollars in spending money.

We’ll look at four powerful campaigns that not only feature people with disabilities, but these commercials are disrupting ...

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.

 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.

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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.

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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. 

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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. 

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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.

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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.

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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.

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.

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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 ...

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.

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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.

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,...

There are things in the world of marketing that are forbidden.

It’s illegal to use certain sounds, for example. If an advertiser does use them, they are heavily fined.

In some countries, there are rules around using national anthems in commercials. In other countries, there are no rules.

And even Winnie the Pooh is forbidden in one country because it apparently makes fun of their leader.