Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

Creative uses of sound and voice drive surprising campaigns. Snoring recordings become mattress discounts. A warped vinyl warns about UV damage. Family-voiced hearing tests and MRI noise turned into stories show emotional audio solutions. A radio spot reframes ugliness as a selling point and funny ads sell remote meter readers.

There are many products in the world that have “unintended uses.”Originally designed for one purpose, the general public has discovered alternate uses for these items.From Windex to baking soda to Ozempic, the makers of these products had no idea they would be used for so many unimagined tasks.And in one story today, the alternate use of diapers may surprise you.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Creative movie stunts and why marketers choose bold approaches. Tiny billboards used to promote a superhero film. A sweating Hemsworth billboard engineered to go viral. Viral Zoom pranks and oversized branding for a surprise comedy hit. How a famous musician financed and bans boosted a controversial comedy’s success.

A celebration of tiny inventions that quietly changed daily life. Stories range from the bread clip and Q-Tips to the ballpoint pen’s tiny mechanism. Learn how a spilled coffee led to the coffee sleeve and how a small fuel-gauge arrow solved a common problem. Short tales show how little design touches boost safety, convenience and cut waste.

A playful look at the long, delicious ties between cars and food. Stories range from automakers making sausages, chocolates and honey to car-branded cookbooks and hot sauce. Discover car-named treats, restaurant ventures by luxury marques, and how dining and driving became clever marketing.

A lively look at how printed catalogues reshaped commerce, from Tiffany’s luxury Blue Book to Eaton’s nation-building mail order. Stories include Sears’ Wish Book, Canadian Tire’s cultural loyalty and an emotional Bike Story commercial. There’s also the J. Peterman catalogue’s cinematic prose and an odd link between a catalogue and a historic rifle order.

A celebratory dive into wildly creative radio ads from around the world. Short, funny spots and inventive casting tricks get highlighted. Campaigns range from reverse fairy tales selling car cameras to live-count road-death broadcasts and plastic-sounds-for-ocean awareness. Stories include a student sampling library that earned royalties and a fast-food series made for confusing times.

Super Bowl 60 had an interesting mix of commercials - from humorous to emotional to plain weird. Terry ranks his favs and compares his list to audience favs.We know you want to listen to all the ads in this show. On the off-chance you don’t, subscribe ad-free here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A dive into catchy jingles that do more than stick in your head. Short songs that actually teach you how to use products or play games. Stories about historic brand ditties like Clapper, Alka-Seltzer, Mr. Clean and toy tunes that explained play. A look at why rhythmic instructionals shaped buying and play habits and why they have mostly vanished.

Genny Schorr, punk musician turned vintage-fashion shop co-owner and rock-star wardrobe stylist, shares her life from early LA punk bands to styling icons like Linda Ronstadt. Short, lively stories cover sneaking into Paul McCartney’s party, opening for major acts in 1977, the Straightjacket boutique’s custom pieces, and the arc from punk stages to dressing famous performers.