Like the tiny arrow on your fuel gauge. And the bread clip. And the miniscule treadwear indicators on your car tires.

In every case, the inventor saw something nobody else saw, and their miniature ideas went down in history.

Small Wonders.

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Did you know that Volkswagen makes sausages.

And Rolls-Royce makes honey.

Did you know cars have even been named after foods and beverages – like the Mitsubishi Pistachio and the Suzuki Cappuccino.

It’s true – and it’s tasty marketing.

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They’ve been around since the mid 1800s, and they helped build the country.

We’ll talk about how catalogues let retailers reach people in far-flung towns and villages.

How catalogues finally allowed rural folks to have access to the same goods as city dwellers.

And how Seinfeld’s J. Peterman became an owner of the actual J. Peterman catalogue.

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Most successful jingles are catchy little earworms.

But these particular little ditties use lyrics to tell you how to use the product, or how to play the advertised game.

They’re not just catchy… they’re rhythmic instruction manuals.

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Her spouse is Kosh, who was the creative director of Apple Records for the Beatles.

Her new book is titled “All Roads Lead To Punk: Riding the First Wave of the Phenomenal Los Angeles Punk Scene Through Music and Fashion" - and she has one fascinating story to tell.

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Where a company or organization intentionally provokes the public to get angry. And hopefully spend money.

We’ll look at the American Eagle/Sydney Sweeney controversy.

We’ll talk about an actress who faked her own death to make a point.

And how Connecticut made New Yorkers furious when it said it makes the best pizza in the country.

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A clapback ad is a response or retaliation to another commercial.

We’ll talk about a Canadian province that took offence to a Vrbo ad.

A youth orchestra who retaliated against a big car commercial.

And a tech company CEO who got caught having an affair – which forced his company to respond - with humour.

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But, they’re not trying to fool you - they’re trying to entertain you. Companies are creating fake ads and fake stores and even fake mistakes - on purpose - in order to gain your attention.

The trick is to appear absolutely legitimate.

While gently pulling your leg at the same time.

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For the first time ever, both Android and Apple users can now get access to our exclusive subscriber-only bonus option. And we’re offering more exclusive content than ever to our subscribers. Introducing Apostrophe All Ears.

You get: ad-free listening (tisk tisk), early access, extended episodes, Q&As PLUS access to all other Apostrophe shows (Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe, We Regret To Inform You, The Beatlology Interviews) – with bonus episodes, virtual events, chats with the hosts, merch discounts & more. Subscribe now – and get a special founder's discount.

Already a subscriber on Apple Podcasts? Don’t worry – your subscription doesn’t change, and you’ll continue to enjoy uninterrupted access.

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When thieves broke into the Louvre with a ladder, the ladder company quickly produced a tongue-in-cheek ad.

When the Oscars read the wrong Best Picture winner, an optometry chain made fun of the mix-up.

It’s called Newsjacking - and it’s becoming a powerful marketing tactic.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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This week, we look at various aspects of our lives influenced by marketing. – but you wouldn’t know it.

It’s marketing hiding in plain sight.

Like the concept of jaywalking – born of marketing.

How marketing created the 10,000-steps-a-day health goal.

And how marketing was the inspiration for one of the most popular TV series that everyone is talking about right now.

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And believe it or not, companies love freebies as much as their customers do.

Because giving away free products generates a lot of goodwill. And goodwill generates free press.

We’ll talk about a ketchup company who gave a man a free boat.

A hotel who gave a couple 18 years of free stays because they had nookie in one of their rooms.

And we’ll tell the story of how one company helped a teenager with huge feet – by giving him a pair of size 23 shoes. 

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One company has been entertaining crowds with wax for 200 years.

One restaurant has been topping their ice cream cones with a unique swirl for over 80 years.

Another company teamed up with a certain debonaire spy 60 years ago.

And a fourth brand has made a fortune blowing bubbles for over 75 years.

Their stories are fascinating.

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On one hand, contests can be designed to help companies achieve certain business goals.

On the other hand, companies can lose control over them pretty quickly.

This week, we look at some of the most interesting – and hilarious – marketing contests.

Including one about a city that held a contest to name a new building – and the public voted overwhelmingly to name it after a past mayor named Harry Baals.

True story.

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Billboards are one of the biggest creative challenges in the marketing world.

They need to be seven words or less.

They need to contain an idea.

And they need to communicate quickly as people speed by.

This week on Under The Influence, we look at the most creative billboards from around the world.

We’ll talk about a car maker that used tiny billboards to get inside their competitor’s vehicles.

How one airline used a billboard that could detect planes passing overhead.

And we’ll tell you the hilarious story of a billboard stunt gone wrong that involves a giant… muffin.

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This week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode.

I read a lot of books to research Under The Influence. But every season, there isn’t enough room to include all the great stories I find.

So this episode is dedicated to those stories that didn’t fit into our regular episodes. But are so good, they are worth telling.

We’ll tell an amazing story about the book Goodnight Moon.

 We’ll tell you why David Bowie seemed to have two different-coloured eyes.

 We’ll talk about why inspiration is 90% perspiration and the inside story of the historic music score from the movie Jaws.

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You’ve probably seen those Red Bull Mini Coopers driving around town with the giant Red Bull can on their roofs.

This week on Under The Influence, we look at the wild and wacky world of marketing mobiles.

They’ve actually been around for over 100 years.

We’ll crack open the story behind the Planters Peanut Nutmobiles.

We’ll take to the skies to tell you an amazing story behind the famous Goodyear blimps.

And we’ll tell the story of the famous Oscar Meyer Wienermobiles.

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Because businesses are always looking for an upper hand in a competitive category, loopholes can offer legal advantages.

A loophole can help a company overcome barriers in the marketplace. 

Sometimes, the way a product is marketed can give customers a loophole they can take advantage of.

And sometimes a 20-year-old kid can spot a loophole that panics a giant corporation.

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“What player has won the most Wimbledon singles titles,” Google will tell you it’s Roger Federer with 8 wins.

But that’s incorrect. Martina Navratilova has 9.

This week, we look at remarkable ideas that promote gender equality.

 Including an idea called Correct the Internet.com

 And one that challenged menstruation taboos with a program called “Touch the pickle.”

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What if John Lennon had never died in 1980. What if George Harrison was still with us? What would it have taken to convince the Beatles to give one more major concert? In “Reunion: A Rock ’N Roll Fairy Tale” author Gary Burr tackles all those questions in a very entertaining novel. By the way, Gary has also played on nine Ringo Starr albums. He’s got some great inside stories.

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With high morals and an ethical code of honour.

The 21st century has a different take.

Today, we cheer the anti-hero. Like the Sopranos, Dexter and Breaking Bad.

Anti-heroes are liberated from that line in the sand that holds the rest of us back. They do things we are afraid to do. And do it unapologetically.

And if advertising is the great mirror to pop culture, it just may explain the emergence of anti-hero brands – who dare you to like them.

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This week, we look at companies that have spent decades advertising to only one gender - then suddenly decide to approach the opposite sex. L’Oreal is now marketing makeup to men. Scotch distillers are now targeting women. And lingerie companies are now designing intimates for men. It’s a brand new, gender-bending world.

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Even though brand names are often protected by trademarks and copyrights, it’s remarkable how many times companies end up with the same names.

And they either get along – or they sue each other into oblivion.

This week, we look at “Brand Twins.”

We’ll talk about when Guns N’ Roses sued Guns and Rosé.

We’ll explain why there used to be the Saskatchewan Roughriders AND the Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL.

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This week, we talk about hotel marketing. 

Specifically, how some hotels attract guests by advertising specific rooms.

Some of those rooms are decorated like TV shows, some are inspired by movies, and some hotels advertise the fact something famous – or infamous - happened in their rooms.

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This week, we’re talking about the creative ways Hollywood markets films.

We’ll talk about how a low-budget horror movie got a ton of press just by asking people to smile.

And we’ll examine the marketing of Top Gun: Maverick – the Tom Cruise sequel that Steven Spielberg says single-handedly saved the theatrical industry.

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Today we are sharing the very first episode of the podcast released in 2023. Not only are there two hilarious Dave and Morley stories but it’s a great introduction to the show. We hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.

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In this episode, we talk about one of the legends of the advertising business – George Lois. Out-spoken and fearless, he launched Xerox, helped elect Robert F. Kennedy, designed famous Esquire magazine covers and even once climbed out onto a window ledge to convince a client to buy an idea. 

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With multiple ways to skip commercials at our fingertips, advertisers have found a new way to reach the public. They’re jumping out of commercial breaks and into the storylines of television shows. This week, we look at a list of popular TV shows that aren’t just entertainment. They’re big marketing vehicles for companies. 

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This week, we look at the ways libraries market themselves. If you think libraries are quiet, you’ve got another thing coming. We’ll talk about a library video series that played like a TV cop show - and - we’ll look at library wars - when libraries battle each other on social media.

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This week, we take a look at the most creative “help wanted” ads in the world. We’ll talk about how IKEA recruited new workers without needing to buy an ad. How VW found new mechanics by posting ads in the most unusual place. And the amazing ways the intelligence community recruits spies and code breakers.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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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 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 the public’s negative perceptions of the disabled.

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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.

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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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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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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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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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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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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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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.

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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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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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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.

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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.

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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.

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Every advertiser gets negative comments on social media. Some brands shrink away – and some take those negative comments and spin them into marketing gold.

Supercuts took negative comments about cheap haircuts and created a hilarious advertising campaign.

Spirit Airlines gave haters a place to vent – then offered them 8,000 free air miles.

And drink maker Oatly, actually dedicated a website to their haters.

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Choosing a perfume or cologne is a form of personal expression. What you smell like says something about you.

But does that include bacon perfume? Or mayonnaise cologne?

There’s a fragrance that makes you smell like a bakery, and a soap for men that smells like gasoline.

Uncommon Scents.

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Consistency is the key to branding, and these famous people all understood that.

We’ll take a look at Julius Caesar, who shocked fellow Romans with the way he dressed and acted.

We’ll examine the incredible popularity of Charlie Chaplin’s “Little Tramp” character that never changed throughout 25 films.

And we’ll talk about celebrities who adopted a singular colour as their personal branding – like Prince and Johnny Cash.

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It may sound like a strange topic, but our obsession with ice - as a product - is only 200 years old.

The history of ice marketing starts with an amazing story about a bold entrepreneur with a vision, the cutthroat clash between competing ice companies, and the long list of ice brands and products that has transformed our lives.

It's a remarkable story.

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Tourism companies around the world have started to advertise specific destinations to travelers, because those locations have a very unique offering.

Namely, they are vanishing.

From glaciers, to polar bears, to the Amazon Rainforest. Marketers are using a strategy called “Loss Aversion” – where the emotional impact of a loss is felt more intensely than a gain.

So people are rushing to these locations, afraid they might miss their last chance to see them.

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Specifically, when TV and movie characters endorse products. Not the actors themselves - but the characters they portray.

It's a trend that started in the early '60s with the Andy Griffith Show and Bonanza.

Today, it includes characters like Breaking Bad's Walter White and even Phil Dunphy from Modern Family.

Sometimes it's funny - and sometimes it bends the time/space continuum.

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As you might know, the team behind Under The Influence has more podcasts executive produced by Terry. The story in this episode of Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe is the most requested Vinyl Cafe story of all time.

"Today is the day Dave cooks the turkey!" Jess tells us why it gives her such pleasure to say those words, and plays the beloved story that has become a Christmas tradition for so many. So roll out the cookies, grab the wrapping paper or trim the tree as you enjoy "Dave Cooks the Turkey." And check out Backstage at the Vinyl Cafe for more holiday favourites.

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It is an interesting chat about communication. Hope you enjoy it.

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Believe it or not, this January will mark our 20th year on CBC. To celebrate the milestone, join us Feb 6th for a live podcast recording, a Q&A, live band, giveaways and yummy gin cocktails at Reid’s Distillery in Toronto. 

Time flies when you’re Under the Influence. Hope to see you there.

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This week, we’re dropping an episode of Brian Goldman’s White Coat, Black Art podcast into our feed.

We thought you might find the topic interesting. In Canada, "reminder ads" can only give the medication's name, but they can’t tell you what the drug is for. They just tell people to ask their doctor for more information. 

I join Dr. Goldman in this episode to talk about those ads.

Are those ads good – or are they bad?

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From the first ad at the first Olympics in 1896, to the hundreds of millions spent on today's advertising contracts, sponsorship money has always been a contentious issue. The Olympics cost a fortune to stage, and sponsorship money makes it possible. But there's a price to pay when there's a price to pay. How marketing has evolved at the Olympics is a fascinating story.

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Join Terry O’Reilly for a brand new Beatles series, where he interviews celebrities and collectors on their love of the Fab Four.

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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?

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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.

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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%.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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?

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 McDonald-Rogers. He is the founder of Primeau Craft Cannabis. 

I think you’ll find his answers very interesting - and some of them are surprising.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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 commercials - that are bucking the trend.

It’s an interesting sonic journey - and Under The Influence host Terry O'Reilly makes a special appearance.

Enjoy.

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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.

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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.

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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 late, great Stuart McLean and recorded live in concert.

But that’s not all.

For the first time ever, listen in on hilarious backstories from the popular show. Long-time Vinyl Cafe producer Jess Milton tells all, sharing memories and stories from 15 years touring, travelling, laughing, and recording with her close friend, Stuart.

This particular episode is a perfect one to be hosted by Under The Influence, as Dave’s record store suddenly finds itself with competition in town.

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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. There’s no doubt about it, those three feet have become one of the biggest battlegrounds for your dollar.

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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 campaign around the fact his client looked like a chicken.

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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.

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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 Inform You has 2 million downloads across 70 episodes – and there's one in particular we think you might enjoy. Brylcreem those strands, suit up and take a stroll down Madison Avenue. This week, we tell the rejection story of AMC's Mad Men:

According to Rolling Stone, Mad Men is the fourth-greatest television show of all time – bested only by Breaking Bad, The Wire and The Sopranos. But before Sterling Cooper ever opened its doors, Mad Men creator Matthew Weiner was rejected by every major network – including HBO, FX and Showtime. Weiner was told no one would watch a series about advertising, that his main character was an unlikable smoker slash philanderer and that viewers hated period pieces. Mad Men gathered rejections, then dust. Until Weiner got a phone call from a basic cable movie channel.

Listen to Part 2 here.

Follow Apostrophe:

Instagram

Twitter

YouTube

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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.

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This week, we look at the concept of “Genericide” – when brand names become generic. Many of the pioneering brands in our world risked losing their trademarks – as courts would rule that their names had become generic. Zipper, escalator and refrigerator were all trademarks at one time. The board game Monopoly just lost its trademark recently. Now brands like Kleenex and Band-Aid are fighting to save their valuable names. And their stories are fascinating.

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This week, Part 2 of how Madison Avenue invented… the housewife. Over 100 years ago, the advertising industry realized they had thousands of household products to sell. All they needed was a customer. So they invented the Happy Homemaker, and for the next 25 years, encouraged women to be stay-at-home moms. That strategy created the biggest business in the world: Housekeeping.

The rest is advertising history.

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This week, we look at how Madison Avenue invented… the housewife. Over 100 years ago, the advertising industry realized they had thousands of household products to sell. All they needed was a customer. So they invented the Happy Homemaker, and for the next 25 years, encouraged women to be stay-at-home moms. That strategy created the biggest business in the world: Housekeeping.

The rest is advertising history.

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It’s our final episode of the season already.

And as always, we throw the show open to our listeners.

And answer your questions.

We’ll explore why jingles have disappeared, how old jingles are being used to help Alzheimer’s patients, we’ll talk about Eddie Shack and his Pop Shoppe commercials, why the biggest companies have the dullest ads and we’ll answer that burning question: What ever happened to the “follow the bouncing ball” sing-along commercials.

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This week, we look at various aspects of our lives influenced by marketing. – but you wouldn’t know it.

It’s marketing hiding in plain sight.

Like the concept of jaywalking – born of marketing.

How marketing created the 10,000-steps-a-day health goal.

And how marketing was the inspiration for one of the most popular TV series that everyone is talking about right now.

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I read a lot of books to research Under The Influence. 

But every season, there isn’t enough room to include all the great stories I find.

So this episode is dedicated to those stories that didn’t fit into our regular episodes. But are so good, they are worth telling.

We’ll tell an amazing story about the book Goodnight Moon.

We’ll tell you why David Bowie seemed to have two different-coloured eyes.

We’ll talk about why inspiration is 90% perspiration and the inside story of the historic music score from the movie Jaws.

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 20th century movies and TV shows were dominated by the traditional “hero.”

 With high morals and an ethical code of honour.

 The 21st century has a different take.

 Today, we cheer the antihero. Like the Sopranos, Dexter and Breaking Bad.

 Antiheroes are liberated from that line in the sand that holds the rest of us back. They do things we are afraid to do. And do it unapologetically.

And if advertising is the great mirror to pop culture, it just may explain the emergence of antihero brands – who dare you to like them.

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For over 100 years, “free” has been one of the most powerful words in the marketing world.

And believe it or not, companies love freebies as much as their customers do.

Because giving away free products generates a lot of goodwill. And goodwill generates free press.

We’ll talk about a ketchup company who gave a man a free boat.

A hotel who gave a couple 18 years of free stays because they had nookie in one of their rooms.

And we’ll tell the story of how one company helped a teenager with huge feet – by giving him a pair of size 23 shoes. 

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Marketing contests can be tricky business.

On one hand, contests can be designed to help companies achieve certain business goals.

On the other hand, companies can lose control over them pretty quickly.

This week, we look at some of the most interesting – and hilarious – marketing contests.

Including one about a city that held a contest to name a new building – and the public voted overwhelmingly to name it after a past mayor named Harry Baals.

True story.

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Jesse Brown, founder of Canadaland Podcast Network, and Terry O'Reilly have a fun conversation about the business of podcasting, the line between journalism and advertising and how Terry had to get used to being touched by strangers.

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Billboards are one of the biggest creative challenges in the marketing world.

They need to be seven words or less.

They need to contain an idea.

And they need to communicate quickly as people speed by.

This week on Under The Influence, we look at the most creative billboards from around the world.

We’ll talk about a car maker that used tiny billboards to get inside their competitor’s vehicles.

How one airline used a billboard that could detect planes passing overhead.

And we’ll tell you the hilarious story of a billboard stunt gone wrong that involves a giant… muffin.

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This week, we take a look at four brands that have found a way to survive for decades.

One company has been entertaining crowds with wax for 200 years.

One restaurant has been topping their ice cream cones with a unique swirl for over 80 years.

Another company teamed up with a certain debonaire spy 60 years ago.

And a fourth brand has made a fortune blowing bubbles for over 75 years.

Their stories are fascinating.

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You’ve probably seen those Red Bull Mini Coopers driving around town with the giant Red Bull can on their roofs.

This week on Under The Influence, we look at the wild and wacky world of marketing mobiles.

They’ve actually been around for over 100 years.

We’ll crack open the story behind the Planters Peanut Nutmobiles.

We’ll take to the skies to tell you an amazing story behind the famous Goodyear blimps.

And we’ll tell the story of the famous Oscar Meyer Wienermobiles.

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There are some very interesting loopholes in the world of marketing.

Because businesses are always looking for an upper hand in a competitive category, loopholes can offer legal advantages.

A loophole can help a company overcome barriers in the marketplace. 

Sometimes, the way a product is marketed can give customers a loophole they can take advantage of.

And sometimes a 20-year-old kid can spot a loophole that panics a giant corporation.

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Even though brand names are often protected by trademarks and copyrights, it’s remarkable how many times companies end up with the same names.

And they either get along – or they sue each other into oblivion.

This week, we look at “Brand Twins.”

We’ll talk about when Guns N’ Roses sued Guns and Rosé.

We’ll explain why there used to be the Saskatchewan Roughriders AND the Ottawa Rough Riders in the CFL.

And that time Ringo sued the Ring O sex toy company.

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This week, we look at the ways libraries market themselves. If you think libraries are quiet, you’ve got another thing coming. We’ll talk about a library video series that played like a TV cop show - and - we’ll look at library wars - when libraries battle each other on social media.

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“What player has won the most Wimbledon singles titles,” Google will tell you it’s Roger Federer with 8 wins.

But that’s incorrect. Martina Navratilova has 9.

This week, we look at remarkable ideas that promote gender equality.

Including an idea called Correct the Internet.com.

And one that challenged menstruation taboos with a program called “Touch the pickle.”

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This week, we talk about hotel marketing. 

Specifically, how some hotels attract guests by advertising specific rooms.

Some of those rooms are decorated like TV shows, some are inspired by movies, and some hotels advertise the fact something famous – or infamous – happened in their rooms.

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Today we’re sharing an episode of Marketing Against The Grain — a show that leads you down the rabbit hole of marketing trends, growth tactics, and innovation.

In this episode, co-hosts Kipp Bodnar (CMO of HubSpot) and Kieran Flanagan (CMO of Zapier), dive into a leaked memo from Yahoo that explains why big businesses fail.

If you like what you hear, search for Marketing Against The Grain in your favorite podcast app. Like the one you’re using right now ;)

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This week, we’re talking about the creative ways Hollywood markets films.

We’ll talk about how a low-budget horror movie got a ton of press just by asking people to smile.

And we’ll examine the marketing of Top Gun: Maverick – the Tom Cruise sequel that Steven Spielberg says single-handedly saved the theatrical industry.

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This week we look at horror in advertising.

We’ll talk about why the Red Cross produced a horror commercial for blood donations. How Nike had a horror commercial yanked off the air. And a water company that actually cast its product as the villain in a 45-minute horror film.

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In this episode, we talk about one of the legends of the advertising business – George Lois. Out-spoken and fearless, he launched Xerox, helped elect Robert F. Kennedy, designed famous Esquire magazine covers and even once climbed out onto a window ledge to convince a client to buy an idea. 

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This week, I ask my advertising colleagues for their most outrageous ad stories. The advertising business is a big money, high stress industry. And so much can go sideways. Sometimes film shoots go horribly wrong, sometimes clients make the most ridiculous demands, sometimes celebrities refuse to say their lines and sometimes even a James Bond campaign can go up in flames.

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With multiple ways to skip commercials at our fingertips, advertisers have found a new way to reach the public. They’re jumping out of commercial breaks and into the storylines of television shows. This week, we look at a list of popular TV shows that aren’t just entertainment. They’re big marketing vehicles for companies. 

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This week, we take a look at the most creative “help wanted” ads in the world. We’ll talk about how IKEA recruited new workers without needing to buy an ad. How VW found new mechanics by posting ads in the most unusual place. And the amazing ways the intelligence community recruits spies and code breakers.

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This week, we take a look at church signs. With congregations declining, churches are using their signs as marketing tools to attract new members. And they’re using humour to do it.

We’ll look at the history of funny church signs, we’ll examine how effective they are, we’ll talk about some of the funniest ones we’ve seen, and a few epic church sign fails.

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If you want to listen to this show about advertising ad-free, subscribe here.This week, we look at companies that have spent decades advertising to only one gender - then suddenly decide to approach the opposite sex. L’Oreal is now marketing makeup to men. Scotch distillers are now targeting women. And lingerie companies are now designing intimates for men. It’s a brand new, gender-bending world.

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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.

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Each episode will feature two Dave and Morley stories as told by Stuart McLean. And for the first time ever, his longtime producer, Jess Milton, will tell you the backstories behind those stories.

I have a story, too. The first time I met Stuart.

Enjoy. 

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To kick off our 2023 season, we look at how the Queen’s death affects the marketing world. Over 600 companies had been granted a Royal Warrant by Queen Elizabeth,

giving them prestige and enviable marketing power. But with the monarch’s death – all Royal Warrants become null and void. It’s now up to King Charles to honour them

– or not.

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Move over Mad Men, it’s time to honour the Mad Women.

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The launch of MTV is one of the great marketing stories of all time, and it almost went under before it began – but was saved by Mick Jagger and a one dollar bill.

We’ll analyze how MTV changed the music business, and how Michael Jackson’s video Thriller changed MTV. We’ll also talk about how the Internet revolutionized the marketing of rock and roll forever. From iTunes to YouTube to the invention of Apps – suddenly technology was the newest rock star.

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They are the true warriors who “burned the boats” so there was no turning back – and then made history.

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And remember one thing – you have to be in bed by the time Bonanza comes on.

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Plus, what show on marketing rock and roll would be complete without mentioning the biggest marketing machine in the history of rock and roll – KISS.

Part Two will begin with the emergence of MTV.

It's a fascinating and interesting journey.

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All episodes have been remastered to fit our Under The Influence format.

Episodes drop every two weeks from now until November. Enjoy.

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We’ll tell a surprising tale about Coca Cola and the Civil War. We’ll delve into the bootlegger background of NASCAR.

And we’ll tell the story of how the Lamborghini supercar began with a tractor… and an insult.

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Like littering. And smoking. And drinking & driving.

And spilling secrets.

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