Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly - S2E04 - Radio Is Dead: Long Live Radio

Episode Date: January 27, 2013

This week on Under The Influence, we look at the incredible creativity happening in radio advertising today.Many advertisers think radio is yesterday's medium, but judging by the incredible work being done around the world, radio isn't dead, it's hotter than ever.We'll look at the top radio advertising ideas that have won in recent international award shows, including one remarkable idea that used code to reach kidnapped soldiers in Columbia. 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. We'll see you next time. 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. From the Under the Influence digital box set, this episode is from Season 2, 2013.

You're so king in it. Scores of it in an instant. Your teeth look whiter than no, no, no! You're not you when you're hungry. You're in good hands with us. You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly. One of my favorite songs from the late 90s was done by Fatboy Slim. It's titled Praise You. Fatboy Slim is really English DJ, musician and record producer Norman Quentin Cook.

He took the name Fatboy Slim from two iconic Gillette razors, the Fatboy and the Slim. Praise You was a big hit and the video, directed by Spike Jonze, is one of my favorite music videos of all time. The song is also interesting to me because sampling was a big part of the composition. Fatboy Slim began by sampling

the opening lines from a 1975 song by singer Camille Yarbrough. Then, he sampled a section from the disco version of Walt Disney's It's a Small World After All. He also sampled some Steve Miller, the band Ruby, and, of all things, the theme from Fat Albert, the animated Bill Cosby show. Next, a piano outtake from a Hoyt-Axton rehearsal recorded in 1973 was sampled, and this gave the song its sticky melody. In other words, Fatboy Slim took old, existing material and combined it to create a brand new hit song. While that song got lots of airplay on radio,

radio as a medium has also been reinventing itself. I recently judged the London International Advertising Awards show, and some of the radio I heard there was phenomenal. The ideas were brash, fresh, and broke boundaries. They were not unlike what Fatboy Slim did with Praise You. Inventive advertisers sampled the best elements of radio from the past and combined them with new thinking and technology. Of the over 700 radio commercials we judged, it was the innovative radio category that got our attention. It was clear that a whole new world of possibilities is opening up for the world's oldest broadcast medium.

So, turn up the volume. It's time to Praise Radio. You're under the influence. Because I co-founded a company based on radio advertising, and because I host a national radio show that explores the advertising industry, I'm often asked the same question over and over again. What's going to happen to radio? I'm always amused by that question because the subtext is that radio is in trouble,

that the new digital world and the internet surely have to end radio's long reign. To that I say, radio is the ultimate survivor. It was the first ever broadcast medium, and it went on the air way back in the 1920s, both in Canada and the United States. Since then, radio has survived the competition of motion pictures, the huge impact of television, VCRs, PVRs, and now the web.

If I had to put my finger on why radio has survived, I would have to say because it is such a personal medium. Radio is a voice in your ear. It is a highly personal activity. People rarely listen to radio in groups, the way an entire family might sit in front of the television. Most radio listening is done alone. Radio broadcasts news and programming that is mostly local in nature. If you've ever wondered whether radio is important to your daily routine, just look at the disruption you feel when your favorite morning radio host is replaced.

It is a big adjustment, and it takes a lot of getting used to. In other words, it matters. And through all the technological changes happening around radio from AM to FM from satellite to internet radio basic terrestrial radio survives into another day and in the world of advertising and marketing radio continues to be incredibly innovative. There is a music school in Frankfurt, Germany called the University of Hanover Academy of Music. It is an elite school for musicians. Hanover wanted to recruit specific people,

those with perfect pitch. If you're born with perfect pitch, that means you can identify a specific musical note without any other external assistance or context. If you think that's easy, try it now. Sing an A off the top of your head. Only one in 10,000 of us can do that. In Europe and North America,

some studies suggest that less than 3% of the population can do it. Yet, 98% have absolute color recognition. That's how rare perfect pitch is. So, the University of Hanover's music department wanted to recruit people with perfect pitch. How could they do that on radio? By doing this. Welcome to the first official application procedure of the University of Music Hanover.

We are searching for students with an absolute pitch. If you can hear that this is an A and this is a C, then we are looking forward to receiving an email from you. Just send it to at hmtm-hanover. Once again, so you can write it down. At hmtm-hanover. Because people with perfect pitch can identify every note on the musical scale,

the Hanover School of Music communicated to them in a way only they would understand. The music notes spell out the school's email address. It was an ingenious use of radio because it did two things. One, it gave the school heightened awareness and spoke to their creativity. And two, this commercial became the first entrance exam because only those with perfect pitch would pass the test by emailing the school. It was a huge success for the university, allowing them first crack at the most talented crop of new students. All done with the innovative use of radio. Sometimes a great television advertising idea has trouble jumping to another medium. Take the popular television campaign for Snickers

with the theme line, you're not you when you're hungry. Like? No, I don't know. What are you, a big supermodel? No, I don't know. Who's us? Supermodels, right? What are you, a model? Gloves? What are you doing? That girl's totally into me. Brad, eat a Snickers. Why? Because you get a little angry when you're hungry. Better? Better. So, ladies. So, losers. Stacy, relax. I'm sorry. You're not you when you're hungry. Snickers satisfies. This has been a big idea for Snickers and has propelled the candy bar from the number three position of confectionery brands to number one, surpassing M&M's and Trident chewing gum. Global sales are expected to surge to $3.57 billion this year. That's a lot of Snickers.

The you're not you when You're Hungry campaign idea has worked extremely well on television, using celebrities like Betty White, Richard Lewis, Liza Minnelli, and Roseanne Barr. But transferring this idea to radio could be tricky. Yet, in Puerto Rico, they found an ingenious way to do just that. In an idea called The Day Hunger Took Over Radio,

37 different radio stations across the island did something they had never done before. They started playing music they would normally never play. So, the rock station, for example, suddenly started playing salsa. The salsa station started playing heavy metal. And the hip-hop station began to play.

Each station created chaos, and 3.2 million radio listeners were totally confused. Until, that is, Snickers cleared up that confusion by airing a personal message. Reggaeton 94 solicita disculpas por el inconveniente. Translated, the message said... We apologize for the inconvenience. The DJ is not himself when he's hungry. When he finishes eating his Snickers,

we will be back with our regular programming. It was an outrageous way to get the Snickers brand, and it's You're Not You When You're Hungry message out to over 3.2 million listeners. But they did it, and got worldwide press while utilizing nothing but the creative power of radio. Breast Cancer Month occurs in October around the world. A lot of activities go on that month to raise awareness for the disease. But in Israel, radio stations got together with the Cancer Association

there and did something highly creative. 8 a.m. is the highest peak of listenership on morning radio. More people tune into that hour than at any other time of the day. As a result, advertisers pay the highest rates in that period. On October 30th, radio stations in Israel did something they had never done before. All morning shows broadcasted out of the right speaker only. They did that to convey the idea of what it's like to lose one breast, to lose one part of a whole. And to achieve maximum reach of that message,

every radio station in the entire country silenced their left speaker simultaneously at 8.05 a.m. Every station assured their listeners they weren't hearing a malfunction, that the one-channel broadcast was intentional to bring awareness to breast cancer, and every station urged women to get tested. It was what I call a huge, small idea. Huge, because every radio station in the country participated. I can't imagine what it took to lasso every station to agree to broadcast through one speaker only. The pushback would be enormous. Small, because the degree of technical difficulty was so easy just

a flip of a control room button and the morning show was broadcast from one side only the project was called the day radio went mono it generated tremendous awareness and press in all other mediums wrote hundreds of stories about it. But here's the important part. The amount of helpline calls increased by 98% and mammography testing increased by 24%. Extraordinary results, generated by the creative use of radio. Que será, será And we'll be right back. of radio.

And we'll be right back. If you're enjoying this episode, why not dip into our archives? Available wherever you download your pods. Go to terryoreilly.ca for a master episode list. Technology stocks extended their gain Wednesday amid positive views on the sector from Wall Street. Meanwhile, over in Malaysia, a radio station was tackling a topic of breast cancer in a different way. BFM 89.9 is a radio station that focuses on business news, hence its slogan, The Business Station.

Working with the Breast Cancer Society of Malaysia, 89.9 wanted to reach their listeners in a unique way during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The radio station has a highly educated, successful business audience, but research showed that same audience ignores basic cancer awareness messages. So 89.9 decided to break the rules of radio. They interrupted their regular business news with breast cancer awareness messages, but did it by incorporating those messages seamlessly into their news reports, delivered by the newscasters themselves.

AirAsia's Thai unit remains on target to sell shares in the fourth quarter through an initial public offering as the plan hasn't been affected by the flooding. Breasts today are the usual size and shape. Both breasts show no visible distortion or swelling. Nipples are pointed slightly upwards as they usually are. Rolling nipples gently between the thumb and index finger causes no pain. Much like this interruption to this program, breast cancer can strike when you least expect it.

Follow these self-check instructions regularly and see your doctor early if you spot anything. For more information, visit cancer.org.my. BFM in support of breast cancer awareness. And Hirotako Holdings' board of directors does not intend to... To 89.9 listeners, it must have come as a shock to be listening intently to business news, then suddenly hear that rolling nipples between the thumb and index finger is a way to check for early signs. In another news report, listeners heard...

We're talking about nine common mistakes managers make in managing departments and companies and how to avoid them. We've gone through the first two ones, and refusal to accept personal accountability and failure to equip people. Now take off your blouse, then your bra if you're wearing one, turn on the light, stand in front of the mirror, gently touch your left breast. Now you're right.

The campaign was also aimed at men, as men too suffer from breast cancer. Petronas has clarified that there is no policy change on licensing system for companies engaged in Malaysia's upstream and oil and gas industry. Men need to touch themselves more often. They need to do this regularly and without shame. With their fingertips, they should touch their chests, working their way closer to their nipples, and gently squeeze or tweak them. There should be no pain, lumps, or swollen spots. Much like the interruption to this program,

a breast cancer can strike when you least expect it. It was that last line you just heard that makes this campaign so effective. Not only does it give men and women direction on how to check for breast cancer it highlighted one of the most important aspects of cancer that it can come when you least expect it it was a brave and incredibly creative way to communicate to an audience that ignores the usual breast cancer messages and the degree of difficulty was high because the format of an all-business station makes it difficult to do something fresh and compelling. But this was simply a radio idea that was impossible to ignore. Three American government contract workers kidnapped in Columbia five years ago are now free and back on American soil. They were taken to Brook Army Medical Center Wednesday night

following a daring mission by the Colombian government. The number of kidnappings in the country of Colombia has always been high. By 2000, it was estimated that 3,752 people had been kidnapped in the South American country. While numbers have dropped dramatically over the last 10 years, the rate of kidnappings in Colombia is still one of the highest in the world. And that number includes hundreds of missing policemen and military personnel. The government of Colombia wanted to try to communicate to its kidnapped soldiers.

They wanted to boost their morale and let them know the government was coming for them. But how they chose to do this was remarkable. Because radios are commonly played in the jungle camps of the kidnappers, the government devised a way to talk to the kidnapped soldiers via radio, without the kidnappers knowing. Essentially, they used a code. First, a song was written. It was titled Better Days, and the message of the lyric was that, even though you feel forgotten and alone,

better days are coming, and we will see each other again soon. While the lyrics were meant to be uplifting, they alone wouldn't have got the attention of the kidnapped soldiers. Something else would do that. Morse Code. It was something all kidnapped military personnel were trained to understand. So a message in Morse Code was created that said,

19 people rescued, you're next, don't lose hope, which sounded like this. The Morse code was then recomposed as music inside the song. While the lyrics sent out one message, the Morse code sent out the real one. It was an extraordinary solution, because for the first time in a decade, the voices of the military forces of Colombia broke through enemy lines and reached their men with a message of strength and hope. And they did it by taking radio's biggest strength, its remarkable portability, and sampled it with 21st century thinking. 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 it. Find your push. Find your power.

Peloton. Visit Peloton at onepeloton.ca. In Germany, 1 out of 11 deaths is the result of someone drinking and driving. Last year, 342 people died. A voluntary humanitarian organization wanted to do something about this growing problem. They wanted to raise awareness of the issue in a way that couldn't be ignored. So they did it by creating a radio ghost. The city of Hamburg, known for its red light district, has one of the highest rates of drinking and driving. The urgent need was to talk to young drivers who often went nightclubbing, then drove home drunk.

The organization came up with a bold idea, to let the people who died speak to the drivers at the place of their death. Special death crosses were built, not unlike what we see on streets and highways where someone has been killed in a driving accident. Then they took an FM transmitter and an MP3 player and used the cross as an antenna to bypass radio frequencies. The crosses were then placed in locations where people had been killed. So, when a car stopped at a traffic light

where a death cross was positioned, for example, the following message was transmitted into the car and actually overrode any radio station the driver was listening to. So instead, they heard this. Translated, the message said, Hello, I'm Melina. Or rather, I was. Because where you stand now, I stood last Saturday night, at the traffic light, right at the snack bar. This death cross has been set up by my daughters, but I'm dead because a drunk driver was trying to turn up the volume on his radio

and then went off the road. The message ended with a plea not to drink and drive. Radio ghosts were messages aimed directly at young drivers, delivered in an innovative technical way, and the drinking and driving message was so compelling as a result. Myself and the four other radio judges had never heard anything like that before, and we awarded it the Grand Trophy, because it elevated the medium of radio.

So much fresh work is being done in the world's oldest broadcast medium. When we judged that award show, we were blown away by the degree of innovation. There was an enormous freedom apparent in the thinking. None of these radio ideas were held back by typical radio conventions, and the creators didn't respect any boundaries. Why is there this kind of innovation in radio right now? I think it has to do with sound itself, the portability of it, the affordability, and the highly personal nature of it.

And while recent technology may have made the radio ghost campaign possible, almost all of the other ideas had nothing to do with digital wizardry. The breast cancer idea of having all the radio stations broadcast out of only one speaker and the crazy Snickers idea of playing the wrong music on all the radio stations were uncomplicated technically, but difficult because both had to have the participation of hundreds of people. The Malaysian radio station with breast cancer self-check instructions woven seamlessly into their news reports was just bold thinking. The German schools idea to attract only students with perfect pitch was a brilliant way to speak in code to the top 3% of musicians. And maybe the most heartbreaking of all, the

Colombian government using Morse code hidden in a song to send a message of hope out to its kidnapped soldiers. But that is the glory of radio. It's a remarkable medium of possibilities. So when people ask me what's going to happen to radio, I just say I can't wait to find out. When you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. Thank you. Hey Terry, it's Ron calling. I'm a long time listener, first time caller. Really enjoyed the show today.

Just wanted to ask one question. What's going to happen to radio? Anyway, let me know. Under the Influence was produced at Pirate Toronto. Sound engineer, Keith Oman. Theme music by Ari Posner and Ian Lefevre. Series coordinator, Debbie O'Reilly. Download the podcasts on iTunes. See you next week.