Under The Influencewith Terry O'Reilly

We're within earshot of our 2020 season. Under the Influence returns to the airwaves January 2 at our usual times - Thursdays and Saturdays at 11:30am on CBC Radio One. The podcast drops every Thursday morning. See you soon.

From Volkswagen to Nestea, bold brands approach advertising with a little self-deprecating humour.

This Mustang commercial was banned for unsafe driving when the car in question never exceeded 24 km/h.

Show creator Chuck Lorre's hidden nuggets at the end of each episode came to a fitting close after the series finale.

One episode of The Mary Tyler Moore Show was considered to be so morbid that a brand new director had to be brought in to handle it tastefully. And boy did it pay off.

Hilroy’s primary-coloured exercise books have been a staple in Canadian classrooms for the better part of a century. But forging an iconic brand doesn't happen overnight.

The use of profanity in marketing has resulted in an upsurge in Vulgar Trademarks. Four-letter words aren’t just sought out by small, feisty companies looking for attention anymore, but by some of the largest advertisers in the world. Is it obscene, or is it free speech?

Most agents will tell you it's all about branding. If potential buyers and sellers see your face often enough in the neighbourhood, they assume you're successful and give you a call. But there is another theory. And it circles back to the early days of the real estate business.

The unusual Toronto advertisement that inspired Terry O'Reilly to break all the rules.

While there are many celebrities who lend their names to products, there is a small group of celebs who own companies and do serious business. From general stores to cannabis lines, a few of them may surprise you.

Most businesses hope good products and excellent service are enough to encourage positive recommendations. But the smartest companies actually have strategies to ignite word-of-mouth chatter. It’s the oldest form of advertising, but it’s the most effective by far.

Some small towns find themselves in the middle of nowhere - or are situated off the main highways - and have a difficult time attracting tourists. That’s when they turn to marketing to create landmarks are often quirky, sometimes bizarre and completely unexpected.

Some brands use disgustingly effective advertising mascots to talk about delicate subjects on television. Fun characters that personify bodily functions the way human actors never could. But one in particular stands out from the pack.

Sometimes inventors eliminate a feature of their inventions to create a brand new product. And often, that brand new product takes on a whole new purpose.

The legal industry in North America will spend north of $1B on advertising this year. And as a result, some law firm advertising is good, some of it bad, but a handful of it highly creative.

The innovative ways marketers are using audio to send powerful messages around the world.

The insurance industry's marketing has been totally disrupted since the millennium. And it all started with a lizard.

Sometimes a celebrity is featured in an advertising campaign without his or her knowledge or permission. There’s no denying the pull of celebrity, but a brand is a legal property. And if you trespass, you risk trouble.

From marketing a horror film with virtually no dialogue to advertising an R-rated superhero, today’s movies aren’t just breaking records - they’re breaking all the rules

From cereal to orange juice, this man is responsible for persuading North Americans toward our everyday breakfast choices.

Sometimes lyrical brand mentions lead to major success. Other times, to lawsuits and bans. But each tells a fascinating story.

Monks create a myriad of merchandise that is sold to the public. Some sing and sell CDs of their chants. Others brew their own beer. A few even deal in marijuana. But in almost all cases, the products sell well and sell fast. And the reasons why are fascinating.