Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - S11E05 - How Jerry Goodis Made an Advertisement a Beautiful Thing

Episode Date: February 5, 2022

This week, we tell the story of one of the most colourful characters in the history of Canadian advertising - Jerry Goodis. He founded a legendary advertising agency and created some of Canada’s longest-running ad campaigns. And while doing that, he attacked the ad industry for producing terrible ads. He was loved and hated but couldn’t be ignored. 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.

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You're not you when you're hungry You're a good influence with Terry O'Reilly. Back in 1953, a Canadian folk group was formed by four childhood friends. Their musical director was a local composer and advertising executive. They were modeled on the American folk group The Weavers, led by Pete Seeger. Like The Weavers, this Canadian group wanted to sing folk and protest songs, and they often performed at picket lines and union halls. Inspired by The Weavers, they considered calling themselves The Beavers. But instead, they decided to call themselves the Travelers,

a moniker taken from the folk song Lonesome Traveler, written by Pete Seeger, who would play a role in their future. The very first time the Travelers performed was on a stage at a summer camp in Brampton, Ontario, where they shared the stage with none other than Pete Seeger himself. That night, Seeger sang a song the Weavers had recorded but had never released because it had been written by Woody Guthrie,

who, along with Seeger, was blacklisted at that time during the McCarthy era. The Travelers loved the song, so Seeger suggested they take it and modify the lyrics to reflect Canada. That same year, the Travelers achieved national exposure when they earned second place on the CBC TV show Pick the Stars, beating out a young impressionist by the name of Rich Little. They played the song Pete Seeger had encouraged them to record. It was a big hit. If you remember the lyric, from Bonavista to the Vancouver Islands.

This Land is Your Land became their theme song, and for many, it became Canada's second national anthem. For the next five years, the travelers toured extensively across Canada, singing the song at concerts and on TV and radio shows. Across Canada, hit the parade. Starring Wally Custer and the Travellers. They became so popular, they were asked to perform at the very first Mariposa Festival in 1961, topping the bill alongside other folk acts like Ian and Sylvia. The Travelers also hold the distinction of being the first Canadian group signed to Columbia Records.

The secret of the Travelers is in the amazing rapport of four personalities that become one when they perform folk music. Their first three albums were titled Across Canada with the Travelers in 1958, The Travelers Sing Songs of North America in 1959, and Quilting Bee in 1960. Just as all this success was happening, one of the group's members decided to quit, and so did their musical director. But there was a reason they left the group. They had a side gig that was heating up, and that side gig would eventually have a big influence on the Canadian advertising industry. Leaving The Travelers was a very difficult decision for a man named Jerry Goodis.

It was an emotional moment for him, but earning a living as a folk singer in Canada was tough. So he and The Travelers musical director, Sam Goldberg, left to form an advertising agency to pay the bills. It wasn't long before that side gig became a growing concern, and Goodis would lead that company to become one of the legendary Canadian advertising agencies. You're under the influence. Jerry Goodis was born into a Jewish working class family in 1929 and grew up in the Garment District of Toronto. Both of his parents were politically active and were heavily involved in their respective unions. That early influence would one day steer Goodis into the world of politics.

He was always small for his age, so his main defense mechanism was a very quick wit, another trait that would come in handy down the road. He was 25 years old when he and his friends formed the Travelers in 1953. Sam Goldberg was a pal who had studied music in Paris, and Goodis recruited Goldberg

to manage the group. Goodis not only had a singing voice, he had personality, so his role was to act as MC and handle the between-song ad-libs to keep the audience amused. It was there he came to understand a little about humor and a lot about communication, as he learned to feel out an audience, observe their mood, and see what grabbed their attention. Sam Goldberg's father had owned a printing shop, and Sam had spent time as the production manager for a small advertising agency, so he knew that end of the business.

Goodis' half-brother Al Soren was recruited to be the accountant, and Jerry Goodis assumed the role of frontman, just as he had in The Travelers. Soon, Goodis Goldberg Soren became a very busy advertising agency, and that success forced Goodis and Goldberg to say goodbye to The Travelers and hello to the wild ands and early 60s. He thought most advertising was terrible. But he loved the work an ad agency in New York was doing for Volkswagen. That agency was the fabled Doyle Dane Burnback.

The ads were creative, funny, and self-deprecating. In other words, they were revolutionary. Like Bill Burnback, Goodis believed in smart advertising. He vowed to never browbeat a customer into a sale.

He would never pretend a single product could change a person's life. And he didn't buy into the prevailing wisdom that endless repetition was the only way to make an ad memorable. While he considered Birnbeck a mentor, he disagreed with another ad legend, David Ogilvie. Ogilvie believed advertising should resist the temptation to entertain, whereas Goodis believed ads needed to entertain in order to get the public's attention. As Jerry Goodis later said, his ad agency prospered because the founders complimented each other. He was the sale, Sam Goldberg was the rudder, and Al Soren was the keel. They were outsiders from the beginning.

Of the 100-plus ad agencies in Canada in the late 50s, only one was run by Jewish owners. Goodas Goldberg Soren would be the second. Goodas was also outspoken about the industry at large. He felt most advertising was terrible and that most Canadian ad agencies were steeped in mediocrity. In a documentary on Goodis titled Have I Ever Lied to You Before? done by the National Film Board in 1976,

he comments on the industry. But the most important criticism I have to offer against our own industry is that we always assume that the people watching this station right now are just a little dumber than we are, and that's a dangerous assumption. Insulting people's intelligence, I think, is just a very, very naughty and nasty thing to do. That didn't make Goodis a popular guy. Yet, it didn't stop his ad agency from landing a lot of business and dominating award shows with ads that didn't talk down to the public.

One of the big reasons for that success was because Jerry Goodis had a keen eye for talent. Most of the creative people he hired would go on to become Hall of Fame creative directors, and others eventually started their own successful ad agencies. But while with Goodis, they created some legendary advertising you will remember all these years later. Back in 1958,

the Wolverine Shoe and Tanning Company in Rockford, Michigan, developed a process to make a soft, comfortable shoe out of pigskin. They called them hush puppies. Why? Because they soothed your barking dogs. When the Winnipeg-based Greb Shoe Company purchased the Canadian rights to Hush Puppies,

they hired Goodis Goldberg-Sorn to help launch the shoes in Canada. Remarkably, Greb only allotted a $7,000 advertising budget to Hush Puppies. And even more remarkably, Jerry Goodis recommended television, the most expensive advertising medium of all. Somehow, the agency figured out a way to make a commercial for only $900.

Filmed in black and white, it showed a husband and wife in bed. Separate beds. It was 1960, after all. The wife asks the It was 1960, after all. The wife asks the husband to check on the children, and when the husband gets out of bed

in his pajamas, the wife notices he still has his hush puppies on. The husband, played by actor Jack Duffy, later of Party Game fame, says,

Oh, what is so comfortable? I keep forgetting I have them on. When he checks on the kids, they are asleep with their hush puppies on. Goodis crossed his fingers and hoped the $900 commercial would sell 10,000 pairs of shoes.

It sold 44,000 pairs. In 1961, the budget was increased to $50,000 and the commercial sold 235,000 pairs. By 1963, Greb increased the budget again to $200,000 and one million Canadians bought the shoes. Eventually, Hush Puppy ads featured a basset hound as a mascot. The dog's name was Velvet and it was owned by Mrs. Greb. It got so famous from the ads, it was actually kidnapped one day, and a rumored $20,000 ransom was paid.

By 1966, Greb became the second biggest shoe company in Canada. Goodis made Greb a big name in the shoe business, and Greb made Jerry Goodis a big name in the ad business. One of the creative people Jerry Goodis recruited was none other than fellow traveler Oscar Ross. Oscar was a great conceptual thinker. When Elmer's glue came to Goodis needing an advertising campaign, Goodis gave the assignment to Oscar.

A few days later, he walked into Jerry's office and plunked a rough layout on his desk. It was a billboard idea. There were only four words on a white background. It said, quick, the Elmer's glue. And one corner of the white background was peeling off the billboard. It was so simple and so perfect. It didn't just talk about the adhesive benefit.

It showed the benefit. And the billboard didn't even need to feature a photo of the glue bottle. It said it all in the blink of an eye. The ultimate goal for a billboard. Goodis loved it and posted the billboard in high-traffic areas near hardware stores. Elmer's glue flew off the shelves. That kind of creativity would soon attract

even bigger clients. Don't go away. We'll be right back. playoff season meditations. Whatever your vibe, Peloton has thousands of classes built to push you. We know how life goes. New father, new routines, new locations. What matters is that you have something there to adapt with you, whether you need a challenge or rest. And Peloton has everything you need, whenever you need it. Find your push. Find your power. Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. One day in the early 70s, a company called Speedy Muffler hired Goodis Goldberg Soren. At that time, specialty repair

shops didn't really exist. If you had a muffler problem, you just took it to your local all-purpose garage. When the owner of Speedy was explaining his business to Goodis, he actually got emotional talking about how poorly people were treated by ordinary garages when they brought their cars in for minor repairs. He said, Where else but a garage can you go in with an expensive piece of merchandise and get ignored? The speedy owner wanted to treat his customers with respect. And there was the key to the advertising idea.

It wasn't the number of speedy locations, it wasn't the price,. It wasn't the number of Speedy locations, it wasn't the price, and it wasn't the guarantee. It was how customers were treated when they walked through the door. Again, Oscar Ross came up with the perfect line. It said, At Speedy, you're a somebody. Writer Doug Linton and art director Gary Carr came up with a very funny TV commercial. It began with a husband quietly getting out of bed early in the morning while his wife is still asleep.

He changes into his golf clothes without a sound. He tiptoes down the stairs to the kitchen. He gingerly steps over the family dog. He prepares a drink in a mixer and steps into a closet to turn the mixer on. Then he comes out, grabs his golf clubs and tiptoes out into the driveway, gets into his car, then turns the key. The muffler is so loud it not only wakes up his wife,

it wakes up the entire angry neighborhood. Hilarious. Then, hubby takes his car to Speedy, where they happily take care of him. You can find the commercial on YouTube, and it's still as funny today as it was in 1971.

By promising courteous service in a category not known for it, Speedy muffler sales went up a whopping 30% in the first six months alone. That's Speedy. You're a somebody. By 1972, Goodis Goldberg Soren was the seventh largest Canadian-owned agency with a staff of over 130 people. Other advertising accounts started knocking on the door. One of those was Wonderbra. The team at Goodis created a commercial based on

a fashion shoot with a photographer and model. CBC refused to air the commercial as the network wouldn't allow ads that showed women wearing just a bra. Bikinis, yes. A bra, no. The commercial featured a jingle that I bet

a lot of you still remember. We care about the shape your is. Wonderful, wonderful. Wonderbra. Very quickly, Wonderbra became the number one brand in its category. In 1972, Jerry Goodis became the first Canadian ad person to write a book on the business, titled Have I Ever Lied to You Before? In it, Goodis summed up his philosophy, saying,

Almost good enough isn't good enough. He demanded big ideas, so he hired the best talent, the top photographers. He insisted on building the best sets, and he encouraged commercials to be shot on location, even if that location was in Europe. It may have kept profits down, but the results were undeniable. His clients' revenues went up, and Goodis Goldberg Soren won countless awards for their work.

Jerry Goodis was also fearless when it came to pitching new business. Ever the advertising bad boy, he once offered Preparation H the line, kiss your hemorrhoids goodbye. He didn't get the business. When he went after the Canadian Club Whiskey account, Kiss your hemorrhoids goodbye. He didn't get the business. When he went after the Canadian Club whiskey account, he sent a baseball bat over to Hiram Walker with the Canadian Club logo printed on it,

along with a note that said, We'll help you club your competition. He got the business. When he was pitching the CIL paint account, he began the boardroom pitch by thanking CIL for awarding him the business. The client reminded Goodis they hadn't awarded the account yet. Goodis said, we'll see. He got the account.

When the agency lost Formosa Springs Beer as a client, it drove Goodis crazy. He wanted it back. When he later heard Formosa was not happy with its new agency, Goodis immediately sent President Tony Toledo a letter asking if Goodis Goldberg Soren could get another crack at the account. Toledo wrote back saying, but added, The word don't call us, we'll call you.

The word don't was underlined. Goodis wondered how to keep in touch with the brewery president if he wasn't allowed to call or write. So he came up with an idea. He would communicate with them through the personal ads in the Toronto newspapers. So Goodis placed an ad that said, Antonio, come back, all is forgiven. Jerry.

Another said, Antonio, stop playing hard to get. Jerry. Still another said, how about dealing some clubs and diamonds again? Love, Jerry. Referring to Formosa Diamond and Club Ales. Goodis got the account back again. A few years later, the brewery was purchased by a tobacco company. The president told him he could keep the account if he stopped making anti-smoking speeches,

which Goodis was known to do. Goodis said no, and he was fired again. crusher health goals is here losing weight is about more than diet and exercise it can also be about our genetics hormones metabolism felix connects you with online licensed health care 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-ix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A. 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. One of the great legacies of Jerry's agency was the fact so many of its campaigns lasted so long. Such a rarity in the world of advertising. But Goodis had a nose for spotting a big idea. At Speedy or a Somebody ran for decades. When Goodis landed the Swiss Chalet account, the restaurant chain only had six locations in Ontario and Quebec. The basic premise was simple. Excellent barbecued chicken at moderate prices. So his agency came up with this slogan.

Every commercial showed delicious chicken rotating over hardwood charcoal, and the end of every ad featured a local celebrity enjoying their Swiss Chalet dinner. It was a huge success, and Swiss Chalet grew quickly to have over 50 locations. That slogan, too, ran for years. Then Goodest landed the Harvey's hamburger chain. Harvey's predated McDonald's in Canada. It never really advertised, but once McDonald's entered the market,

it had to start. Creative director Doug Linton noticed that McDonald's slogans were rarely about the food. You deserve a break today and we do it all for you were about the experience, Ronald McDonald, and kids. So Harvey's chose to advertise to adults and highlight the fact you could personalize your char-broiled burger, unlike at McDonald's.

Linton wrote this slogan and set it to music. Harvey's makes your hamburger a beautiful thing. Within one year, sales jumped up 28%. I still see that line on Harvey's website over 30 years later. In 1974, Jerry Goodis was asked to help promote a different kind of product, a prime minister to be exact, named Pierre Trudeau. Goodis was recruited by Senator Keith Davey. A special team was assembled, cherry-picking the top people from various advertising agencies who were liberal-friendly.

It was a team of rivals, dubbed Red Leaf Communications. The assignment appealed to Goodis, who grew up in a politically active home, as mentioned earlier. Trudeau needed commercials to secure a third term, and Goodis happily applied his skill set. He found Trudeau to be a whip-smart politician who demanded unvarnished feedback from those around him. If you didn't give it to him straight, you were out. The TV advertising was a success, and Trudeau was re-elected. During the campaign, Davy and Goodis had a meeting at 24 Sussex. Trudeau invited them both to stay for lunch.

As they walked into the dining room, Davy pulled Goodis aside and said, Whatever you do, don't sit in the chair closest to the north window. There was a special hotline phone under that particular chair, and only Trudeau was allowed to sit there. As they were ushered into the dining room, Goodis was so engrossed in the conversation, he sat right in the special hotline chair. Keith Davey's eyes bugged out of his head.

Goodis suddenly realized his faux pas and turned beet red. Trudeau told Goodis to relax and, if the phone rang, to just answer it. Goodis could hardly eat his lunch. Petrified the phone under his posterior would ring. It was maybe the only time the emcee of The Travelers and the frontman of Goodis Goldberg Soren was ever at a loss for words. Journalist Peter Newman once said that Jerry Goodis was a self-made man who worshipped his creator.

There was no doubt Goodis had an ego, and he could showboat with the best of them. But the pocket-sized ad man with the bad comb-over worked hard for his clients. He not only promoted their products, he believed in them. He drank Canadian Club whiskey, he got his mufflers from Speedy, and his casual shoes were Hush Puppies. There was just one exception. He never wore a Wonder Bra, but he could spot talent. He created an environment where creative minds could do their best work. He established a high bar for creative standards, and he kicked his way into a very waspy industry. When Jerry Goodis died in 2002, one of the creative people he had taken a chance on, who went on to found another terrific agency

years later, said it was no overstatement to say Goodis Goldberg Soren was the only ad agency in Canada that looked and sounded as good as the best ad agencies in New York. The work Goodas inspired rang out for decades in a business where campaigns have the lifespan of a mayfly. He was chronically unhappy with the ad industry as a whole, feeling it constantly embarrassed itself

with terrible commercials. He spoke out about it at every opportunity and made a lot of enemies. But at the end of the day, his work was known from Bonavista to the Vancouver Island because he had us all under his influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the Terrastream Mobile Recording Studio. Producer, Debbie O'Reilly. Sound Engineer, Jeff Devine.

Theme music by Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre. Thank you to the National Film Board for the clips from Have I Ever Lied to You Before? documentary. If you're enjoying this episode, you might also like There's Something About Mary, Madwoman Mary Wells, Season 10, Episode 18.

You'll find it in our archives wherever you listen to your podcasts. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram at Terry O. Influence. See you next week. Fun fact, the Elmer's glue billboard was the first ad inducted into the Canadian billboard Hall of Fame. It must have really stuck out. new year new me season is here and honestly we're already over it enter felix the health care company helping canadians take a different approach to weight loss this year weight loss

is more than just diet and exercise it can be about tackling genetics hormones metabolism felix gets it they connect you with with licensed healthcare practitioners online who'll create a personalized treatment plan that pairs your healthy lifestyle with a little help and a little extra support. Start your visit today at felix.ca. That's F-E-L-I-X dot C-A. 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, Peloton