Mark has produced nine albums for Ringo. Before that, he was part of the Hudson Brothers. They had hit songs and the Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle TV show made them teen idols in the 70s. Mark is a huge Beatles fan and collector - and has spent time with all four Beatles. He’s a great storyteller. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Companies are spending big bucks advertising weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Rybelsus.  This week, we’re dropping an episode of Brian Goldman’s White Coat, Black Art podcast into our feed. We thought you might find the topic interesting. In Canada, "reminder ads" can only give the medication's name, but they can’t tell you what the drug is for. They just tell people to ask their doctor for more information.  I join Dr. Goldman in this episode to talk about those ads. Are those ads good –...

Mark Hamill not only owns collectibles, he is a collectible. Mark talks to us about his first blush with the Beatles, how he began collecting Beatles memorabilia, that time he met George Harrison on a plane, and whether or not he let his kids play with Star Wars toys. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this interview, Max talks about his favourite Beatle albums, Ringo’s profound influence on rock drummers, and what happened onstage at a Springsteen concert the night Lennon was murdered. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tom Halley was one of the brilliant animators on Yellow Submarine. The film is considered one of the most inventive animated films of all time. In this interview with the late animator, he tells us how he came to be involved, how they all managed to create this classic film in just 11 months. And much to our surprise, Tom tells us he was also an animator on the Beatles cartoon series. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the Paris Olympics in motion, it is a good time to revisit this episode from our archives. From the first ad at the first Olympics in 1896, to the hundreds of millions spent on today's advertising contracts, sponsorship money has always been a contentious issue. The Olympics cost a fortune to stage, and sponsorship money makes it possible. But there's a price to pay when there's a price to pay. How marketing has evolved at the Olympics is a fascinating story. Hosted on Acast. See...

David Sheff conducted the last major interview with John Lennon. Just as Double Fantasy was being released, Sheff interviewed John & Yoko for Playboy magazine. It was the famous interview where Lennon went through the Beatles catalogue song-by-song - just before he died. The backstory of that interview is fascinating. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

I did a lot of commercials with Bob Newhart in the late 90s. He was one-in-a-million, a joy to work with, and he will be missed. And I want to tell you a very funny story that happened as a result of those commercials. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Astrid Kirchherr holds a special place in the history of the Beatles. She took the famous Hamburg-era photos of the Beatles in their formative years, she inspired their “moptop” hairstyle, and she happened to fall in love with Stuart Sutcliffe, the fifth member of the Beatles. Her story is compelling, and her love of the Beatles, as friends, comes through in every word. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join Terry O’Reilly for a brand new Beatles series, where he interviews celebrities and collectors on their love of the Fab Four. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we answer listener questions. We’ll talk about how bands create theme songs for TV shows and how much they get paid.  We’ll go back in time and talk about that flirtatious couple from that famous Nescafe TV campaign.  And we’ll explore why condom makers now market different sizes, when it used to be one-size-fits-all. What’s goin’ on there? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, it’s our annual Brand Envy episode.   Every year, I list four brands I’ve admired from a distance.   We’ll talk about a classic board game created by a Canadian couple.   An ice cream chain founded by another Canadian.   An iconic lighter that was named after a zipper.   And a woman who is dominating television these days. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every company dreams of doubling its profit.   It’s almost impossible to do.   Yet, some companies do it by tweaking one tiny thing.   We’ll talk about an industry that put three words on their packaging that doubled their profit.   A company that created a catchy jingle that doubled their revenue overnight.   And a business that changed one single word in a headline and their profit went up 100%. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we shoot for the moon.   Now that commercialized space travel has arrived, the world of marketing is setting its sights on the stars.   We’ll talk about ads on rocket ships, ads on spacesuits, and television commercials filmed on the International Space Station.   There are companies who want to employ hundreds of tiny satellites to create logos in the night sky.   Some companies even want to put ads on the moon.   And those ads might even be cheaper than Super Bowl commercials. ...

Occasionally, an old advertising campaign is brought back from the dead.   Even if it has been off the air for decades.   This week, we’ll discuss a recurring Coke commercial that has been called the most popular ad of all time.   A much-loved beer campaign that has been revived after 34 years.   And a controversial commercial that was yanked off the air in 1989, but was re-run again recently. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week it’s our annual Bookmarks episode. We read a lot of books to research Under The Influence.  But there’s never enough room to include all the great stories we find. So this episode is dedicated to those great stories that didn’t fit into our regular episodes.  This year, our theme is bravery. We’ll tell an amusing story about how Danny DeVito made a bold decision when he was auditioning for the sitcom Taxi. We’ll salute Lucille Ball’s bravery. And we’ll talk about how Jacques Plante...

Under the Influence fans know that at the very end of each episode there’s a Fun Fact – an interesting little tidbit related to the show. Well, this year we’re asking you, our listeners, to record that Fun Fact. All you need is a phone or computer. Just visit our Fun Fact Page, follow the prompts and have fun with it. We choose two listeners every week – to be featured in the podcast and on CBC Radio. Happy recording. Oh, and keep checking back. The latest Fun Fact is refreshed every week. ...

This week, we go back in advertising history and take a look at the ads and commercials that could never, ever, EVER run today.   They are either so politically incorrect, so sexist, or so inappropriate, you won’t believe your ears.   From doctors recommending cigarettes, to 7-Up advertising to babies, to everyone singing about the joys of DDT, it’s amazing to think they all ran back in the day.   Ads that couldn’t run today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Almost every movie and television show needs cars, and auto companies are happy to supply them – because it helps sell a lot of cars.   We’ll look back at James Bond and Starsky & Hutch, and explore auto partnerships with movie franchises like Transformers and Marvel.   We’ll also tell a crazy story of how the most sought-after car from a Steve McQueen movie was finally found – and the cosmic coincidence that led to its discovery.   Cars are the stars. Hosted on Acast. See...

Take a walk down any busy main street, and you’ll probably see one of the oldest forms of advertising:   The sandwich board.   They have been around for over 200 years.   Cities try and ban them. Storekeepers love them.   They can make you smile. They can make you angry. They can attract a lot of attention.   They are the pop-up ads of the physical world.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Customers often lie to companies in surveys, polls and focus groups.   Yet advertisers rely on that flawed and false feedback to market brands and create advertising campaigns.   So what are advertisers to do?   One solution is Google.   What we type into the Google search window is like a truth serum. We all pour our most intimate, honest questions into that search box. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

80% of all advertising is ignored.   That’s why some advertisers employ cheeky advertising.   It’s usually bold – outrageous – and sometimes even rude – but always with a playful undertone.   We’ll talk about a fruit company that printed an open letter to the Pope.   An airline campaign that told you to “keep it in your pants.”   And a product that claims your grandparents had more sex than you.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most tourism marketing aims at the largest audience possible.   This week, we look at a sub-category aimed at the smallest audience possible:   Billionaire Tourism.   The super wealthy get bored easily.   That means luxury tour planners dream up extreme vacation ideas.   From outer space, to the bottom of the ocean, to secretly getting the key to the Sistine Chapel, it’s a whole new pricey world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

There are some time-honored honorifics in the world of marketing.   “Honorifics” are titles like Mr., Mrs., Doctor, Captain or Colonel.    Like Colonel Sanders, Dr. Scholl’s, Mr. Clean and Mrs. Butterworth’s.   They’re usually leaders in their category.   Is it because those products are the best?   Or – is it because those brand names give the products a sense of respect and authority? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.