Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

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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.

This week, we look at how some companies advertise to haters.

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, actu...

This week, we take a whiff of some of the strangest fragrances being marketed today.

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.

This week, we talk about some of the most interesting people throughout history – and the fact they all had a consistent personal style.

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 ...

This week, we look at the marketing of ICE.

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.

This week, we take a look at Last Chance Tourism.

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...

In our first episode of 2025, we explore a strange aspect of advertising.

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 i...

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 ...