Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - S11E22 - Brand Envy 2022

Episode Date: June 4, 2022

This week, I tell the stories of four of my favourite brands. One holds the record for the most Oscar wins, one was a kid’s animated show produced by a church, another became one of the best-selling toys of all time and one found a way to cut through late-night TV. And all lasted for decades. 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 Your teeth look whiter than new nose You're not you when you're hungry You're a good hand with all things. You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. Just follow the money.

It was the most famous line from the film. All the President's Men was a movie based on the book by Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. They had exposed the massive criminal cover-up in the Nixon White House. Chasing the story down was difficult for Woodward and Bernstein. They had exposed the massive criminal cover-up in the Nixon White House. Chasing the story down was difficult for Woodward and Bernstein. There were many moving pieces and a lot of players. And nobody at the White House was talking. But Woodward had a source, a highly confidential source. Whenever he needed information,

Woodward would move a small flower pot with a red flag on his apartment balcony. His source would then respond by circling page 20 in Woodward's copy of the Washington Post when it was delivered in the morning and draw hands on a clock in that circle signifying their meeting time. Their rendezvous spot was a secluded underground parking garage well after midnight.

When they met, the source kept telling Woodward to follow the money. Someone at the Washington Post nicknamed the source Deep Throat. It was a nod to the fact the source was on Deep Background, and there was a notorious porn film with that title in theaters at the time. Only three people knew Deep Throat's identity. Bob Woodward, Carl Bernstein, and their editor, Ben Bradley. And throughout the entire Watergate saga, Bernstein and Bradley never even met Deep Throat. But whenever Woodward and Bernstein needed help or confirmation on a lead,

Woodward would meet Deep Throat in that dark, underground parking garage. But who was Deep Throat? The guessing game consumed politicians, journalists, and the public. Lots of names were thrown around, like Ron Ziegler, Nixon's press officer, General Alexander Haig, William Rehnquist from the Department of Justice, Diane Sawyer, who worked in Nixon's press office. Even

VP Gerald Ford was suspected. After all, he was next in line to be president. Some said it wasn't just one person, but a composite of several sources. Woodward and Bernstein said they would only divulge Deep Throat's name

when he died or consented to be revealed. For over 30 years, the true identity of Deep Throat remained a mystery. Then, in 2005, Deep Throat finally decided to come forward. His name was Mark Felt During the Watergate years he was second in command at the FBI He was now 95 years old and nearing the end of his life

Once the secret was out Woodward and Bernstein confirmed that Felt was, indeed, their Deep Throat Ironically, Bernstein's ex-wife, director and screenwriter Nora Ephron, had guessed Felt's identity years earlier. She had seen the initials M.F. in Woodward and Bernstein's notes, but Woodward insisted they stood for My Friend. Ephron wasn't buying it. She told everyone she knew that Deep Throat was Mark Felt, but nobody listened.

Bernstein's then nine-year-old son had even apparently told his summer camp friends that Deep Throat was Mark Felt. He said he had overheard Mom talking about it. Nobody paid attention to the kid. Despite Efron and Bernstein Jr., the identity of Deep Throat was that rare thing. A secret that lasted for decades. Welcome to our annual Brand Envy episode. Today, we'll talk about four brands that achieve something that I maintain is rare.

Like the secret of Deep Throat, they too have lasted for decades. One holds the record for the most Oscar wins in Hollywood history. One was a kids' animated series produced by a church. Another became one of the best-selling toys of all time. And one found a way to cut through late-night TV. They all lasted for one very special reason.

They knew the secret was to be absolutely unique. You're under the influence. When the question is asked, which woman has won the most Academy Awards in history, the answer is usually Katharine Hepburn, who won four Oscars. But that's not the correct answer.

There is another woman who won twice as many as Hepburn. She wasn't an actress. She was a costume designer, maybe the most famous costume designer of all time. She won eight Oscars and was nominated an astounding 35 times. Her name was Edith Head. In 1924, a young Edith Head saw a classified ad in the Los Angeles Times. It was a want ad looking for a sketch artist at Paramount Pictures.

She applied and got the job, working as a costume sketch artist until 1927. Nine years later, her talent couldn't be denied, and Edith Head became the first woman promoted to Head of Design at Paramount. From that moment on, she began to carve out her legacy, working on over 1,100 films. In 1940 alone, she supervised the costumes for 47 major motion pictures.

Edith Head was one of the hardest-working executives in Hollywood at a time when there were hardly any female executives at all in the film industry. She learned how to watch and listen. She had high standards and was an exacting boss, but her track record is literally an encyclopedia of the best films of all time. Edith had dressed Grace Kellyan to catch a thief, Gloria Swanson in Sunset Boulevard. She worked on films such as White Christmas, Shane, Double Indemnity, Witness for the Prosecution, HUD, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid,

The Birds, and Breakfast at Tiffany's. Hitchcock hired her for 11 of his films, including Vertigo and Rear Window. Edith Head was a sartorial storyteller. Her costumes served the script. She made sure the actors felt heard while interpreting the director's vision. Her Oscars included such classics as Sabrina, Roman Holiday, and All About Eve. Her final Oscar was for The Sting.

Edith Head had a very unique look. Tiny frame, severe bangs, and big blue-tinted sunglasses. Picture Edna Mode from Pixar's The Incredibles, a character that was modeled after Edith. Her blue-tinted glasses were not only a signature trademark, they had a function. They allowed Edith to look at colorful costumes and see what they would look like in black and white. An important benefit, since most of her best work was done in the pre-color era.

She survived over 40 years in the ever-changing world of Hollywood by avoiding trends. She once said, I think that's good advice for all of us. Edith Head was not only good with a hemline, she was good with a headline. She was a genius of self-promotion and was constantly written up in magazines, was interviewed often on radio,

and made television appearances. When she released her 1959 autobiography, The Dress Doctor, it sold 8.5 million copies. She was the first woman in her field to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Her last movie was Dead Men Don't Wear Plaid

in 1982 and she died not long after at the age of 84. Her fearless influence is still felt in Hollywood. Edith Head was not just a behind-the-scenes star. She was a powerful brand.

One morning, Mattel co-founder Evan Handler watched his young son play with toy cars. They were made by a British firm called Matchbox. That name came from the fact the cars were tiny enough to fit into small boxes that resembled a box of matches. As Handler watched his son, he wondered if the experience of playing with toy cars could be more exciting. He wondered if the cars could go faster. So he challenged his Mattel design team, which included a General Motors car designer and a rocket scientist, to develop a toy car that was cooler and performed better than anything else on the market. Mattel knew a thing or two about kids. Handler's wife Ruth had created the Barbie doll.

His team came back with a revolutionary idea. It was a tiny toy car that sped along plastic orange tracks. The cars featured a patented suspension that utilized thick gauge music wire as the axle, coupled with a unique plastic bearing, all of which allowed the wheels to roll and spin with minimum friction. That was the key to speed. The orange tracks could be clicked together into any shape, including daredevil ovals and jump ramps.

When Evan Handler saw the groundbreaking toy car speed along the floor, he said, wow, those are some hot wheels. The name stuck. The first die-cast Hot Wheels car rolled off the line in 1968. It was a custom Camaro. Soon, deals were in place to recreate muscle cars from the big three automakers, and 15 more tiny cars were made, including a custom Firebird, T-Bird, Corvette, a Volkswagen, and some custom Hot Rods.

That set eventually became known as the Sweet Sixteen, and are among the most valuable and collectible toy vehicles ever made. Hot Wheels cars were not just fast, they were eye-popping. The tires had red stripes and the bodies sported spectra flame paint jobs, giving them a candy chrome metallic finish

that had never been done before. The sweet 16 Hot Wheels line was unveiled at the 1968 New York Toy Fair. Kids went crazy for them. Me included. Seeing a set of Hot Wheels cars and 30 feet of track under

the Christmas tree was a dream come true. Soon, more designers from actual automakers defected to join Mattel. In 1970, Hot Wheels collector clubs popped up all over the country. Hot Wheels has survived and thrived all these years because it stays on trend. It reflects the car culture of the time, which means there are Tesla Hot Wheels available.

Over 20,000 different models have been created to date. According to research, Hot Wheels is one of the best-selling toys in the world, with 16 cars selling every second. Over 6 billion have been sold. Hot Wheels had a record sales year in 2018, its 50th year of production. In my books,

that makes Hot Wheels a super brand. Which reminds me of a kid's TV show that still gets referenced over 60 years later. New year, new me. Season is here and honestly, we're already over it. Enter Felix, the healthcare 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 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.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. I remember watching an animated series on TV when I was a kid back in the 60s. It's been years, but when I looked it up on IMDB.com, the description was, a young boy and his talking dog learn lessons about life. Yep, that definitely summed up Davy and Goliath. As a kid, I was only interested in the storylines and the stop-motion animation.

I didn't pay attention to the credits. Which means I didn't realize that Davy and Goliath was produced by the Lutheran Church. Back in 1958, the Lutheran Church had an ambitious idea. It wanted to produce a wholesome children's show that taught moral lessons. So the leaders of the church designated $1 million of the church budget to fund the production of a TV program. The church then approached Art and Ruth Clokey to create the program. Art Clokey studied animation at USC

and got his first job in the advertising business. He created stop-motion commercials for Anderson's Split Pea Soup, Coke, Budweiser, and a series of ads used during intermissions at drive-in theaters. It's time to refresh. For your convenience, we have an attractive snack stand drive-in theaters. It's time to refresh.

For your convenience, we have an attractive snack stand with a parade of items to tempt your taste. Buttered popcorn, golden good and hot from the popper, sizzling hot dogs cradled in fresh, fluffy buns. When the Lutheran church knocked on their door,

the Cloakies already had a place in pop culture. They were the creators of Gumby. The Gumby Show had started two years earlier in 1956. Well-versed in claymation, the Cloakies created a show for the church called Davy and Goliath. Davy Hansen was a boy who lived in a typical small town who owned a talking dog named Goliath.

But Goliath only talked to Davy. Each 15-minute episode had a simple storyline involving sharing, spiritual lessons, and responsibility. Davy was actually voiced by Canadian actress Norma McMillan, who had done children's voices on CBC Radio. Goliath was voiced by actor Hal Smith. You may remember him as town drunk Otis Smith on the Andy Griffith Show. I worked with Hal back in the mid-80s, but never knew he had voiced Goliath.

As any fan of the show will remember, Goliath always uttered that famous line. Oh, Davey. Love that. Episodes were given free of charge to over 200 television markets in North America. It was also shown overseas and dubbed into Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and Cantonese. The original series ran from 1960 to 65,

then due to popular demand, was brought back in the 70s. In total, 65 episodes were produced, including six half-hour specials. After a near 30-year hiatus, Davy and Goliath were featured in a Mountain Dew commercial in 2001, where they learn a different kind of lesson from Dad. Quit it! Quit it! Is there a problem, Davy? Well, Dad, there was only one dew left. Tommy said it was his, I said it was mine and we began to fight and it was wrong. We're sorry. Boys, why don't you give

me the Mountain Dew? Dad scarfs the dew. Now let that be a lesson to you. What just happened here? We got hosed, Tommy. We got hosed. Oh, Davey. There was even an hour

long Christmas special in 2004. Davey and Goliath still reverberate over 60 years later and are often mentioned on TV shows like The Simpsons. If you're a boomer, it's a life reference point. If you're looking for flexible workouts, Peloton's got you covered. Summer runs or 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 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. Barry Besher and Ed Valenti were entrepreneurs. The Rhode Island business partners were searching around for a product they could advertise on television. But not with typical 30-second commercials, but rather two-minute infomercials. The two had had some success with a product called Miracle Painter. It was a splatter-resistant pad designed to render the paintbrush obsolete. Bescher and Valenti created a Miracle Painter infomercial that showed a man painting a ceiling in a tuxedo. This man is painting a swirl ceiling in a tuxedo.

There's no drip, no spray, no splatter. He's using the amazing miracle painter. In the early days, infomercials first appeared either late at night or on weekends. It was the cheapest airtime available. But that normally undesirable airtime proved incredibly effective as infomercial products began selling like crazy. And instead of mail-in orders, AT&T had developed something called a 1-800 phone number that let customers phone in the order from anywhere. And with the proliferation of credit cards, buying a product on the phone couldn't be easier. Those changes in direct selling led Bescher and Valenti to look for another product they could hawk on TV. One day, they came across a set of interesting

knives made by the Fetzer Company in Ohio. The knives retained their razor sharpness even after cutting through metal. The partners knew they were on to something. But who would buy a Fetzer knife made in Ohio? So Besher and Valenti teamed up with an advertising writer named Arthur Schiff. Clearly, the knives needed a better name. One night, Schiff bolted out of bed at 3 a.m. and yelled out the word, ginsu. He had no idea where the bizarre word came from,

so he wrote it down on a piece of paper and went back to sleep. The next morning, he showed the word to Bescher and Valenti, and they loved it. Even though the knives were not Japanese in the slightest, the word ginsu instantly summoned up thoughts of samurai swords and even the Benihana Steakhouse. Then the pair knocked on the doors of big-time advertising agencies

on Madison Avenue to get a TV commercial produced. But nobody was interested. So Besher and Valenti decided to make their own. They hired a Japanese exchange student to play a chef, then created one of the most famous ads of the 20th century that began with a karate chop. In Japan, the hand can be used like a knife. But this method doesn't work with a tomato. That's why we use the ginsu. It's a knife that no kitchen should be without.

The ginsu can cut a slice of bread so thin you can almost see through it. It cuts meat better than an electric knife and goes through frozen food as though it were melted butter. The ginsu is so sharp it can cut through a tin can and still slice a tomato like this. The infomercial contained moments that would be copied and parodied forever. Like this line. Wait, there's much, much more. We also want you to have this six-in-one kitchen tool.

The, I can't believe I'm getting all this slam-dunk moment. Now how much would you pay? You get the Ginsu knife, the matching carving fork, the versatile six-in-one kitchen tool, a set of six steak knives, and the spiral slicer. You get them all guaranteed in writing for 50 years for only $9.95. Then the magic toll-free number. Here's how to order. Call toll-free 1-800-835-2246. Barry Besher and Ed Valenti not only produced the commercial, they were in it. That was Valenti in the karate gi,

and Besher cut the tin can, the wood, and the tomato. The Ginsu knife was a wild success and attained that special pop culture perch over the tomato. The Ginsu knife was a wild success and attained that special pop culture perch over the years. It was often parodied on Saturday Night Live and The Tonight Show

and almost every comedian had a funny routine about it. The Ginsu infomercials ran from 1978 to 1985 and sold a remarkable $30 million worth of knives. That success led to other infomercial pitches.

The company would go on to sell over $500 million worth of products. Years later, whenever Barry Besher was asked what the word Ginsu really meant, he had the perfect answer. He said,

It means, I never have to work again. Some products last forever on store shelves, and some last forever on our cranial shelf. Hot Wheels has thrilled kids for over half a century. Its staying power is so remarkable, it set a record year for sales in an era of digital toys. Davy and Goliath was a simple stop-motion kids' show produced by a church. Even though it had been off the air for over 30 years,

it was such a pop culture fixture that Mountain Dew tapped it for a commercial and no footnotes were required. Edith Head was a legendary Hollywood executive in an era where there were no female Hollywood executives. She stayed relevant and in demand for over 40 years in an industry that invented turnover. Her resume looks like a list of the top films of all time, with eight Oscar doorstops to her credit. Then there was the Ginsu knife. While I was never a fan of infomercials, I have to tip my hat to the Ginsu.

Millions were sold utilizing television's wasteland of time slots. The commercials were cheesy, parodied, and effective. Laugh if you will, but Besher and Valenti created an infomercial company that was so successful, it was eventually purchased by none other than Warren Buffett. It takes a lot to create a brand that stands the test of time in a world obsessed by trends, six-second attention spans, and hungry rivals nipping at your website.

Because if you do it right, you just have to follow the money when you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the Terrastream Mobile Recording Studio. Producer, Debbie O'Reilly. Sound engineer, Jeff Devine. Research, Abby Forsythe. Theme music by Ari Posner

and Ian Lefevre. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like last season's Brand Envy show, Season 10, Episode 10.

You'll find it in our archives wherever you listen to podcasts. See you next week. Fun fact. You can now cut through traffic on Rhode Island by taking archives wherever you listen to podcasts. See you next week. Fun fact. You can now cut through traffic on Rhode Island by taking Gensu Way,

a road named in honor of Rhode Islanders Barry Besher and Ed Valenti. Couple of really sharp guys.