Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - S10E25 - Ask Terry 2021

Episode Date: June 24, 2021

It's our annual Ask Terry episode where we answer listener questions. We’ll delve into why creative advertising agencies have such boring names, to what has changed most - and least - since the Mad Men Era to why the wrong people are put into marketing departments so often. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hi, it's Terry O'Reilly. As you may know, we've been producing a lot of bonus episodes while under the influences on hiatus. They're called the Beatleology Interviews, where I talk to people who knew the Beatles, work with them, love them, and the authors who write about them. Well, the Beatleology Interviews have become a hit, so we are spinning it out to be a standalone podcast series. You've already heard conversations with people like actors Mark Hamill, Malcolm McDowell, and Beatles confidant Astrid Kershaw. But coming up, I talk to May Pang, who dated John Lennon in the mid-70s. I talk to double fantasy guitarist Earl Slick, Apple Records creative director John Kosh. I'll be talking to Jan Hayworth,

who designed the Sgt. Pepper album cover. Very cool. And I'll talk to singer Dion, who is one of only five people still alive who were on the Sgt. Pepper cover. And two of those people were Beatles. The stories they tell are amazing. So thank you for making this series such a success. And please do me a favor, follow the Beatleology interviews on your podcast app. You don't even have to be a huge Beatles fan. You just have to love storytelling. Subscribe now and don't miss a single beat. In case nobody's told you, weight loss goes beyond the old just eat less and move more narrative. And that's where Felix comes in. Felix is redefining weight loss for Canadians with a smarter, more personalized approach to help you crush your health goals this year.

Losing weight is about more than diet and exercise. It can also be about our genetics, hormones, metabolism. Felix connects you with online licensed healthcare practitioners who understand that everybody is different and can pair your healthy lifestyle with the right support to reach your goals. Start your visit today at Felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X.ca. Whether you're in your running era, Pilates era, or yoga era,

dive into Peloton workouts that work with you. From meditating at your kid's game to mastering a strength program, they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals. No pressure to be who you're not. Just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your push. Find your power.

Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. This is an apostrophe podcast production. You're so king in it. You're going to love it You're not you when you're hungry. You're in good hands with all things. You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. This is our final episode of 2021. While writing this show, I was listening to one of my favorite albums.

And being that this is our closing episode of the season, it got me thinking about the closing songs on famous albums. When bands record albums, the sequencing of those songs is extremely important. What song do you open an album with? What tone do you want to set? In what order should the songs flow? And importantly, what should the closing song be? What is the parting thought? When the wild 60s were coming to a close,

the Rolling Stones released a record titled Let It Bleed. It contained some of their best-known songs, including Gimme Shelter and Midnight Rambler. But the closing song on the album was destined to become a classic. It was called You Can't Always Get What You Want. It was the first song recorded for the album, but when the album was sequenced, it was placed last. Charlie Watts isn't drumming on it, by the way.

Jagger said Charlie couldn't quite get the groove, so another drummer was used. Released in December of 1969, the closing song on the album was a perfect way to close the door on the 60s. Purple Rain was a big album for Prince and the Revolution, and it was a soundtrack to the film of the same name. The last song on the 1984 album was the title track.

Surprisingly, Purple Rain was originally written as a country song. Prince had asked Stevie Nicks to write the lyrics, but she found it overwhelming and couldn't do it. When Prince played the Super Bowl, it started to rain during the performance. Many consider it one of the most memorable Super Bowl halftime shows of all time. Purple Rain is also the last song Prince ever played live

in Atlanta one week before he died. London Calling was the third studio album done by The Clash. It was a double album, and the cover was an homage to Elvis Presley's debut album, utilizing the same basic design and green and pink typography colors. The closing song on the album was Train in Vain. The song wasn't listed on the original

London Calling album. Some called it a hidden track. But it was written at the last minute and the album jacket, insert lyrics and vinyl label

had already been printed. But the title was scratched into the runoff groove of the last side of the four-sided record. That last hidden song became one of The Clash's greatest hits. No list of the greatest closing album songs would be complete without possibly the greatest one of all. A Day in the Life.

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was meant to be a concept album, with the Beatles taking on the persona of another band. The album opens with the song Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and ends with a reprise of Sgt. Pepper. As the crowd applauds, the majestic A Day in the Life appears almost as an encore. It was the perfect Lennon-McCartney alchemy, featuring two distinct writing styles coming together to form a legendary song. The track took 34 hours to record. The Beatles' entire debut album Please Please Me only took 15 hours in total. The song has perhaps the most famous final chord in rock history,

lasting a full 42 seconds. That final chord inspired this. Deep Note, the THX sound trademark from Lucasfilm. Welcome to our annual Ask Terry episode. We put out a call for questions and we received the most responses we've ever had in our 16 years on the air. I'll try and answer as many as I can in the next half hour. You've asked about everything from advertising history to inappropriate content to what happens when spokespeople replaced, to why creative ad agencies have such boring names. And the perennial question was asked again this year. Why is most advertising so bad?

You're under the influence. On Instagram, at morethanamover begins our show today with a musical question. Terry, the name of my company is More Than A Mover, and we've always joked that our theme song should be a riff on the classic Bee Gees song, Well, let me say this about that. When you have a piece of music that smacks of a famous song or was inspired by a famous song, the risk is if you have music that is really similar to a famous song, and I

mean really similar, the risk factor is and if you are thinking of using a famous song and just changing the lyrics without getting permission or paying licensing fees, the risk is this. Don't do that. Stay away from famous songs unless you can afford the hefty licensing fees. Remember that record companies encode their songs and can use algorithms to sniff out who is using them illegally.

Same goes for podcasters. Copyright songs are not allowed in podcasts. By the way, Ron Kearns asks if the Under the Influence theme song is available to listeners. Yes, it is. You can find it on iTunes. Search Under the the influence theme. And speaking of music,

AtMomKlein2 asks, In our family, it was known that the jingle for Smarties was written by a great uncle. How can I research this? Well, I gotcha. When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last?

Do you suck them very slowly or crunch them very fast? Eat the candy and milk chocolate, but tell me when I ask. When you eat your Smarties, do you eat the red ones last? That famous ditty was written by my friend Gary Gray. Not sure if he's your great uncle or not, but he's the father of that jingle. On Facebook, Pamela Duncan asks a very amusing question. For a group of creative people, why are advertising agency names so boring?

They sound like old law firms. True. When advertising became an industry in the 1920s, the trend was to name the firm after its founders, like Batten, Barton, Durston, and Osborne. Those important-sounding names gave companies credibility. Considering marketing is one of the few things advertisers buy mostly on faith, ad agencies needed to project a steadfast image,

and borrowing from the law industry gave them that. And who knows more about projecting an image than an advertising agency? One of my favorite ad agency names was Miller, Myers, Bruce, Della Costa, Harrod, and Merlin. That was an advertising agency back in the 80s, and it was a highly creative one. They billed themselves as the biggest name in Canadian advertising. Ian Merlin told me that on the agency's first anniversary, they gave each staff member a personalized sweater

emblazoned with the agency's name, along with the staff member's name added to it. Thus, Miller Myers, Bruce, Della Costa, Harrod, and Merlin, and Smith. As if the name wasn't long enough already. But that said, there are actually a lot of creative ad agency names. Here are a few. There is a highly creative ad agency simply called Mother. It has offices in London, New York, Los Angeles, and Shanghai. All 500 staff members have pictures of their mothers up on a wall, on their business cards, and on the company website.

There is an advertising agency in California called 72 & Sunny. The founders said that the advertising business had become a grind and was populated by cynical people back when they started in 2004. So they wanted to break free of that mindset. The name 72 & Sunny is meant to be positive and uplifting 72 degrees Fahrenheit is said to be the ideal temperature and everyone loves a sunny day the name is also an operating philosophy they strive to maintain an optimistic way of doing business there is another highly awarded ad agency called Droga5. Founder David Droga had four brothers, so his mother devised a plan to keep the laundry straight.

She would stitch a number into their underwear so she knew whose was whose. David was the youngest, so he was Droga 5. There's another agency in New York called Strawberry Frog. Founder Scott Goodson wanted a name that was the antithesis of typical Madison Avenue agencies, which he called dinosaur names.

While searching for the opposite of dinosaur, he stumbled on the world's rarest frog, called the Strawberry Poison Dart Frog. It was extremely dangerous, with a red body and blue legs. And as anyone knows, the advertising agency uniform of choice is blue jeans. When Strawberry Frog was pitching a client in the early days, the director of marketing was intrigued, but said he couldn't take an agency named Strawberry Frog to his board of directors because they wouldn't take it seriously. Scott Goodson then asked,

You use Google and Yahoo, don't you? The client instantly understood, and they got the business. There is another agency whose name I like. It's simply called Joan Creative. It's the inspiration for the name that I admire. The founders, both women, named their agency after famous Joans in history, like Joan of Arc, Joan Rivers, Joan Jett, and Joan from Mad Men. The J in Joan looks like a stylized sword a la Joan of Arc. So, in other words, the name of the agency is based in bravery.

Speaking of Joan from Mad Men, Drew Gordy asks on Twitter, 60 plus years beyond the Mad Men era, what would you say has changed the most in the ad agency world and what has changed the least?

Well, that's easy. It's almost the same answer for both. What's changed the most well that's easy it's almost the same answer for both what's changed the most is that there are many more women employed in advertising agencies what has changed the least is that not enough of those women are in power positions like creative director and president which as i've said for years does not make any sense. According to the 3% movement, which was formed to try and get women into creative director positions, the number of female creative directors stood at only 3% when the movement was formed in 2008.

According to their research, there are only three categories where men dominate purchases. The other 85% of the goods and services in this world are purchased by women. Women aren't a subset. They are a superset. But the cautiously good news is that the percentage of women in executive positions at advertising, media, and tech firms jumped to 29% last year and took a further jump to 45% this year. The next hurdle is to close the pay gap. On Twitter, at NLDenise asks, If you could have been part of any advertising campaign in history,

which one would you choose? Well, that's easy. The Volkswagen advertising of the 1960s. Best advertising ever done, in my opinion, created by Doyle Dane Burnback. 20 years later, I got to work on Volkswagen at Doyle Dane Burnback, but I would have preferred to time travel back to the 60s. On Twitter, Officer Teresa asks,

Well, thanks, Officer Teresa. I have narrated two audiobooks, both of which I've written. The first is titled The Age of Persuasion, and the second is titled This I Know. I have a new book coming out in October called My Best Mistake. It's not about marketing, but I tell stories about people who made catastrophic career mistakes, and it ended up being the best thing that ever happened to them.

I'll be narrating that audio book when it comes out. On Twitter, Sean Melanson asks, Did you ever make an episode with content that was deemed inappropriate?

Well, without question, the episode that got the most pushback was the one titled Strange Bedfellows, Advertising and Porn, Season 5, Episode 18 and 19. Lately, advertisers big and small are starting to dip their media toes into the world of porn sites.

Their rationale? The audiences on porn sites are huge and the ad rates are cheap. I felt it was a trend worth exploring. Most of the negative comments we received felt I was advocating porn just by talking about it, which I was not. As a matter of fact, I warned brands to stay away.

But don't go away. We'll be right back. Bet MGM, authorized gaming partner of the NBA, has your back all season long. From tip-off to the final buzzer, you're always taken care of with the sportsbook born in Vegas. That's a feeling you can only get with BetMGM. And no matter your team, your favorite player, or your style, there's something every NBA fan will love about BetMGM. Download the app today and discover why BetMGM is your basketball home for the season. Raise your game to the next level this year with BetMGM. A sportsbook worth a slam dunk.

And authorized gaming partner of the NBA. BitMGM.com for terms and conditions. Must be 19 years of age or older to wager Ontario only. Please play responsibly. If you have any questions or concerns about your gambling or someone close to you, please contact Connex Ontario at 1-866-531-2600 to speak to an advisor free of charge. BitMGM operates pursuant to an operating agreement with iGaming Ontario. Delicious Names, Marketing Appetite Appeal, Season 7, Episode 5. It's free in our archives, wherever you download your pods. Every year for this episode, I get the perennial question. Why is most advertising so awful?

That question was asked this year by Ted Dente, at Norton Da Putty Tat, and others. Maybe the best answer to that question was found in another question posed by Randy Diplock. Randy asks, Why is it that exactly the wrong people are in charge of approving advertising ideas? Not just the wrong people, but exactly the wrong people. Well, Randy knows whereof he speaks.

He is one of the most awarded advertising people in the country. There are several factors as to why so much advertising is bad. I've mentioned the reasons often in past episodes, like too much researching and focus group testing that sands the edges off a good idea, or when ideas often have to go through too many approval levels in a company and the idea ends up limping to the finish line. But another very important reason is the one Randy identifies. Often, the people in the marketing department are the wrong people. Exactly the wrong people. Marketing is an area

that can be a catch-all department at companies. When someone in some other department wants a promotion, they are often thrown into marketing. Could be someone in human resources, or someone in the purchasing department, or the boss's nephew. And so often, people assigned to the marketing department have no experience, no strategic insights, and no appreciation of the power of creative ideas. Which reminds me of a wise story an adman named James Webb Young tells in his book, Diary of an Adman. Young was the creative director of the New York office of the J. Walter Thompson Advertising Agency. The CEO of a company complained to Young that he was not getting enough quality thinking from his ad agency. Young leveled with him

and said the advertising manager between the ad agency and the CEO was not up to the task. Young summed it up perfectly by saying, even when we had a 4-inch flow at our end, only a 2-inch stream got piped into the CEO.

James Webb Young wrote that in 1944. Nothing has changed. In my career, I did get to work with some brilliant clients. But more often than not, we were dealing with people who had absolutely no inherent understanding or instincts for marketing. And there was nothing more demotivating than watching an amateur marketing person peck a great idea to death.

Then, the ad agency gets blamed when the advertising doesn't work. So may I say to any CEOs listening, make sure you are assigning experienced and passionate people to your marketing department who are willing to inspire, defend, and protect bold ideas. That way, you'll get the full four-inch flow at your end. In other words, choose the right people as opposed to the exact wrong people. On Facebook, John McRae asks an interesting question.

When a brand loses or changes an established spokesperson, like the original Maytag Repairman, does the public ever buy into the new person? Well, it's a case-by-case basis i think the maytag repairman campaign began way back in 1967. the advertising agency that created it was the leo burnett company burnett was famous for creating ad mascots like snap crackle and pop tony the tiger and the jolly green giant it was a fun and powerful advertising idea that a Maytag machine was so dependable,

Maytag repairmen were bored and never needed. The first Maytag repairman was played by actor Jesse White. In the original commercial, we see the Maytag repairman doing something he would never do in any other commercial. He was working on a Maytag repairman doing something he would never do in any other commercial. He was working on a Maytag washer. Working on the Maytag, working on the Maytag. Boy, it's sure good to be actually working on a Maytag.

It's been a while. You know, that's the trouble with you Maytag washers and dryers. You're too dependable. It's not repairing it. He's practicing on it. How else can I keep in practice? Jesse White was a great character actor who would perform in nearly 70 Maytag commercials between 1967 and 1988.

His nickname was Old Lonely. The only companion the repairman ever had was a forlorn basset hound called Newton, named after the town in Iowa where Fred Maytag built his first washing machines. When Jesse White passed away, another actor took over the role in 1989. His name was Gordon Jump. Well, you're fine. Anything else I can help you with? My job. It's so lonely. No one to talk to, no calls, nothing. I'm just not needed.

What is it exactly you do again? I'm the Maytag repairman. At Maytag, all our washers and dryers are still built to last longer and need fewer repairs. Gordon Jump was another character actor, famous for playing hapless station manager Arthur Carlson on WKRP in Cincinnati. I worked with Gordon many times. He was a wonderful man. Gordon's hanged dog face made for a perfect lonely repairman. He filmed Maytag commercials until he passed away in 2003.

Then Maytag replaced Gordon with a number of actors over the next few years. Most recently, the Maytag repairman has undergone significant changes. He is slimmer, tailored, square-jawed, and handsome. You got a big game coming up, and Maytag would like to remind you that when the going gets tough, the tough make nachos in an oven tough enough to handle the most grande mound of munchies. Without thinking too hard, can you picture them? Probably not. That's the problem with replacing spokespeople. Over time, they tend to become more ordinary, homogenized, and forgettable.

In case nobody's told you, weight loss goes beyond the old just eat less and move more narrative. And that's where Felix comes in. Felix is redefining weight loss for Canadians with a smarter, more personalized approach to help you crush your health goals this year. Losing weight is about more than diet and exercise. It can also be about our genetics, hormones, metabolism. hormones metabolism felix connects you with online licensed health care practitioners who understand that everybody is different and compare your healthy lifestyle with the right support to reach your goals start your visit today at felix.ca that's f-e-l-i-x.ca whether you're in your running era pilates era or yoga era dive into Peloton workouts that work with you.

From meditating at your kid's game to mastering a strength program, they've got everything you need to keep knocking down your goals. No pressure to be who you're not. Just workouts and classes to strengthen who you are. So no matter your era, make it your best with Peloton. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca.

On Facebook, Matt Flanagan asks, How do you decide on the end credit special offer? I have always been curious, especially the little towns you mention. Well, Matt, every year we try and do something fun at the end of the show. The reason for that is because I want you to sit through the credits so you can hear the names of the people who work so hard on this show. In the past, we've done funny telephone messages, we've ended with

absurd slogans from the 50s and 60s, and this year, we decided to poke fun at silly disclaimers, the void-or-prohibited kind of quick read you hear at the end

of commercials. They're called tags in the ad biz. So our tags are always linked to the topic of each show. For example, in our annual Bookmarks episode, where I tell great stories from our research books, we said, Caution! Contents in your overhead bin may have shifted during insights. Limit of 100 books per customer, please.

It's just silly, fun, advertising ease. As for the small towns we give a call out to, like Offer Only Valid in Whitefish, Ontario, we wanted to send a little love to our listeners in tiny towns across the country. And that's how we ended every episode. And since this is the last show of our 2021 season, it's the perfect question to end on.

Thanks for all the great questions and thank you to our listeners for all the wonderful support you give our show. We truly appreciate it. Some of the great questions you send in are actually great episode ideas, so I'm keeping those babies in my back pocket for next season. This is the end of our 10th season of Under the Influence and our 16th on CBC, and we

never take that for granted. I'd like to take a moment now to thank our amazing Under the Influence team who work their hearts out for you every week. Our incredible producer who manages all the things that happen in the Tearstream Mobile Recording Studio is Debbie O'Reilly. The man who makes us sound good is our sound engineer, Keith Oman. Those two wandering minstrels of our melody

are composers Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre. Our very inventive digital content producer is Sydney O'Reilly. Our remarkable resourceful researchers are Allison Pinches, Abby Forsyth, Patrick James Aslan, and Susan Kendall. Our groovy graphic designer is Callie Rae O'Reilly. The lady who tells you that you're under the influence every week is Angela Bottas. Our tag man with the big pipes is Tony Daniels. And thanks to the folks at CBC, especially Ian Cawthry, Susan Taylor, and the wonderful Barb Dickey.

We'll be airing some of our archived episodes over the summer. Stay safe and healthy. We'll be under the some of our archived episodes over the summer. Stay safe and healthy. We'll be Under the Influence again next January. I'm Terry O'Reilly. Remember, you can binge Under the Influence episodes wherever you get your podcasts. Binge away, friend. Offer valid everywhere.