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S10E21 - Too Many Turk Brodas: Trading Card Marketing 27:39

15h ago27:39

27:39

This week, we trace the history of Trading Cards. For over 150 years, companies have used trading cards to entice customers to buy their products. From cigarette cards to bubble gum cards for Batman, sports teams and even the Gulf War, trading cards are big business.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E20 - Bookmarks 2021 27:37

8d ago27:37

27:37

This week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode, where we tell the fascinating stories from our research that didn’t fit into the regular season. Including a little-known backstory of the 1972 Canada/Russia hockey series and a moving story about another hockey game that was cut short by tragedy.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E18 - There’s Something About Mary: Mad Woman Mary Wells 27:30

22d ago27:30

27:30

This week, we profile the remarkable career of, arguably, the most successful woman 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 woman to intimidate the boys club of Madison Avenue. And she did it all in the Mad Men d…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E17 - Son of Crocodile Dundee: Nostalgia Advertising 27:38

29d ago27:38

27:38

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E16 - I Can’t Believe I Ate The Whole Thing: Surviving The Ad Biz 27:33

1M ago27:33

27:33

This week, we tell crazy stories from the world of advertising. High pressure, big money and impossible deadlines make for some hilarious situations. Like a TV shoot where a hot air balloon towing a new car went missing in the wind and a cat food company that insisted the ad agency eat the cat food before they create the ads.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E15 - Who Will Buy My Memories: Fan Club Marketing 27:25

1M ago27:25

27:25

This week, we dive into the world of Fan Clubs and how they're 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.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E14 - One Toke Over The Line: 50-Year Marketing Milestones 27:24

2M ago27:24

27:24

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. Join us and see if you remember them.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E13 - Red Carpet Marketing: The Business of Award Shows 27:30

2M ago27:30

27:30

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 Tony awards can rescue a play overnight.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E12 - Air Quotes: Creative Radio 2021 27:16

2M ago27:16

27:16

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E11 - Brands Are People, Too: Products Named After Inventors (Encore) 26:26

2M ago26:26

26:26

This week, in an encore episode, 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 t…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E10 - Brand Envy 2021 27:34

3M ago27:34

27:34

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S10E09 - The Future Is Furry: Animals In Advertising 27:22

3M ago27:22

27:22

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.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E08 - Celestial Advertising: The Art of Skywriting 27:46

3M ago27:46

27:46

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S10E07 - It’s Finger Lickin’ Bad: Marketing in the Time of Covid 27:40

3M ago27:40

27:40

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E05 - It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s Superheroes in Advertising! 27:36

4M ago27:36

27:36

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 Superman promoting Kellogg’s in the 1950s to Batman hawking savings bonds to Batgirl advocating equal pay for equal work, stoic superheroes became the ultimate spokes-characters.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E04 - Escape Or Die Frying: The Art Of The Movie Poster 27:32

4M ago27:32

27:32

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 influence ticket buyers.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E03 - You're Soaking In It: Female Brand Icons 27:42

4M ago27:42

27:42

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E02 - Switch-Pitchers: When Spokespeople Change Brands 27:45

4M ago27:45

27:45

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S10E01 - The Times They Are A-Changin': Brands Crushed By Zeitgeist 27:36

5M ago27:36

27:36

Welcome to Season 10. It's good to be back. 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 pro…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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We're back January 7th 1:20

5M ago1:20

1:20

We’ve got a fun 2021 season planned for you. Here’s a sneak peek at what's in store...

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E26 - Ask Terry 2020 27:27

11M ago27:27

27:27

This week it’s our final episode of the 2020 season, where we answer listener questions sent to us through social media. 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 …

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E25 - You Must Remember This: The Mandela Effect 26:56

11M ago26:56

26:56

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 …

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E24 - Branding A Disease 27:34

12M ago27:34

27:34

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 matte…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E23 - Bookmarks 2020 27:16

12M ago27:16

27:16

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 …

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E21 - Fix It Again, Tony: Brand Nicknames 27:44

1y ago27:44

27:44

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." Others like “Whole Paycheck” don’t make Whole Foods happy. Join us this week as we explore the implications of Brand Nicknames.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E20 - Setting The Table: Best Opening Stories 27:41

1y ago27:41

27:41

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 gr…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E19 - Flip, Flop or Fly: The World of Test Markets 27:43

1y ago27:43

27:43

80-90% 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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E18 - Talk Ain’t Cheap: How Conversations Impact Business 27:37

1y ago27:37

27:37

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.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E16 - Brand Envy 2020 28:00

1y ago28:00

28:00

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 dairy product with its very own spokes-angel. Hope you’ll join us for the 2020 edition of Brand Envy.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E15 - Takes a Licking and Keeps on Ticking: Advertising Torture Tests 28:04

1y ago28:04

28:04

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…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E14 - Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down: The New World of Online Reviews 27:22

1y ago27:22

27:22

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 rev…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E13 - Lend Us Your Ears: The Intimate Art of ASMR Marketing 27:35

1y ago27:35

27:35

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 - h…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E11 - For Better or For Worse: Wedding Marketing 26:48

1y ago26:48

26:48

Dum dum da dum. This week, we explore the lucrative world of Wedding Marketing. Weddings are big, big business. And as a result, the wedding industry is a big, big marketing category. From invitations and flowers to dresses and cakes, today's weddings are an $80 billion industry. And planning the perfect day is a lot of pressure.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E10 - Come Fly With Me: Airports Are Now Brands 27:19

1y ago27:19

27:19

This week, we explore how airports are now becoming brands. You may not know it, but airports compete against each other for business. That intense rivalry has led to the complete transformation of airports - they now have movie theatres, skating rinks, rooftop pools and top retail stores. These days, airports are destinations unto themselves.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E09 - Search Parties: The Relentless Hunt For New Customers 27:24

1y ago27:24

27:24

This week, we explore the surprising ideas companies use to attract new customers. Like “Finger Lickin’ Good” nail polish from KFC. Or NASCAR’s partnership with Harlequin romance novels. The search for new customers is endless. And the resulting marketing is endlessly fascinating.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E08 - The Name Game: Brand Names In Different Countries 27:35

1+ y ago27:35

27:35

This week, we explore why companies change valuable brand names when expanding to other countries. Sometimes the reason is a language issue. But other times, the reasons are far more interesting. For example, Mr. Clean is called Meister Proper in Germany and Maestro Lindo in Italy. And the reason it’s hard to find a Burger King in Australia is the …

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E06 - Set Jetting: Film Locations As Tourism Marketing 27:40

1+ y ago27:40

27:40

This week, we look at the phenomenon of Set Jetting. That’s when tourists flock to a city to see the sets and locations where their favourite TV shows and movies are filmed. Some towns have embraced set jetting as new-found tourism marketing. Other towns absolutely resent it. It’s a fascinating love/hate relationship.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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S9E05 - Sound + Vision: Album Covers As Marketing, Part Two 27:16

1+ y ago27:16

27:16

This week, it’s Part Two of our Album Covers As Marketing episode. In the 1980s, album covers shrunk down for the first time to accommodate CDs. And in the 2000s, the advent of iPods shrunk them again to the size of a postage stamp, forcing album artwork to become highly creative.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E04 - Sound + Vision: Album Covers As Marketing 27:18

1+ y ago27:18

27:18

This week on Under the Influence, we analyze Album Covers As Marketing. We’ll look at a world famous record cover that was almost ruined by a zipper, why flights at Heathrow Airport had to be grounded for one band’s cover art and which album jacket is considered to be the worst of all time.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E21 (Archive) - Marching Orders: Household Products Invented by the Military 27:27

1+ y ago27:27

27:27

From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at Products Invented by the Military. The military has influenced more technology than any government, agency, business or organization in history. From the appliances in your kitchen, to the big screen in your living room, to the car you drive, you’d be surprised how much of your world is military-inspi…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E20 (Archive) - Avon Calling: Door-To-Door Marketing 27:40

1+ y ago27:40

27:40

From the Digital Box Set: This week, we explore the art of door-to-door sales. From encyclopedias to makeup to vacuum cleaners, many corporations were built on the shoe leather of direct sales. It was a tough way to make a living. But the best salespeople never met a door they couldn't open. We’ll even look at the famous names in Hollywood that sta…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E18 (Archive) - Lemonade: Marketing A Negative 27:30

1+ y ago27:30

27:30

From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at brands that aren’t afraid to celebrate their weaknesses. As a rule, no company ever wants to point a neon sign at its flaws. But there are a few brave advertisers out there who know there can be incredible power in a negative. Like a brand that advertises the fact that its product tastes awful, or ano…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E17 (Archive) - Bookmarks 2018 26:46

1+ y ago26:46

26:46

From the Digital Box Set: This week, it's our annual episode dedicated to great stories from our Under the Influence research that didn't make the regular season. We’ll tell the story of why Maple Leafs owner Harold Ballard would shut off all water fountains during games, which books are the most-stolen from North American libraries and the day Gor…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E03 - Putting Fans In Stands: How Sports Teams Sell Tickets 27:36

1+ y ago27:36

27:36

This week, we look at the fascinating ways sports teams market themselves. We’ll unpack why one stadium replaced its ushers with librarians, why another encouraged fans to wear “awful" clothes and how a grammatical error put Toronto on the map. It all comes down to a strategic game plan.

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E16 (Archive) - Brand Envy 2018 26:30

1+ y ago26:30

26:30

From the Digital Box Set: This week, it’s our annual look at brands I admire. They may not be the hippest, the latest or the coolest, but I envy them for a reason. Like the most iconic studio in rock history, the first casual shoe ever invented or the world’s most timeless sunglasses. Join us for a peek at a few of my favourite things…This is an ar…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E15 (Archive) - Hey Vern! When Ads Go Hollywood 26:51

1+ y ago26:51

26:51

From the Digital Box Set: This week, we look at commercials that made the unlikely leap to Hollywood. Some became big hit movies, others inspired popular songs. One even became a TV series that was voted one of the worst sitcoms of all time. But that’s what can happen when an ad hitchhikes to La La Land.This is an archived episode that aired origin…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E13 (Archive) - Famous Jingles, Part Two 27:16

1+ y ago27:16

27:16

From the Digital Box Set: This week, it’s part two of our Jingles episode. Jingles had a great run until the late ‘80s, then songs overtook them. But a few big jingles have beaten the trend in recent years – one in particular has even made one company billions of dollars…This is an archived episode that aired originally on March 29, 2018.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S7E12 (Archive) - Famous Jingles 27:35

1+ y ago27:35

27:35

From the Digital Box Set: This week, we explore the use of jingles in advertising. So many brands were built on the backs of jingles. From the Big Mac, to Smarties, to Wheaties cereal, successful jingles stay lodged in our minds forever. Once you hear them, learn the melody and start singing the lyrics, you become the advertiser. This is an archive…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E02 - Goliath Meet David: Small Brands That Beat The Big Boys 27:37

1+ y ago27:37

27:37

This week, we analyze how small brands outsmart their giant counterparts. We’ll look at a snack food company with a cult-like following that outsells Frito-Lay in Baltimore. A tiny soda brand that obliterates Coca Cola in Scotland. And a bubble gum-flavoured drink that beats all the giants only in Peru. Goliath, meet David.…

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Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

1
S9E01 - Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel: Marketing TV Shows 26:26

1+ y ago26:26

26:26

Welcome to the 2020 Under the Influence season. It's good to be back. To kick things off, we step into the highly competitive world of Television Marketing. Between Netflix, Amazon, Crave and more, the marketing of TV shows has become a rat-race. And in a world where we can watch anything anytime, luring viewers back each week calls for some seriou…

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