The Age of Persuasion
The Age of Persuasion is a Canadian radio series which aired on CBC Radio One for 107 episodes over five seasons between 2006 and 2011, and also broadcast on Chicago public radio station WBEZ. A sequel to the earlier O'Reilly on Advertising , the series is hosted by Terry O'Reilly and explores the sociological and cultural impact of advertising on modern life.
Each episode uses humour and numerous excerpts from historical radio broadcasts and commercials to make its point.
Many episodes are available in streaming MP3 format from the program's CBC website. Some are available in podcast form at the unofficial site CBC Podcasts. On December 24, 2010 the Age of Persuasion blog announced[1] that the CBC would be podcasting the show starting in January 2011.
The show's creators, Terry O'Reilly and Mike Tennant, have released a book: The Age of Persuasion: How Marketing Ate Our Culture, (Knopf Canada & Vintage Paperbacks). The book is published in the United States by Counterpoint Press.
As late as November 2011, O'Reilly had indicated that a sixth season of AoP would begin that January.[2] However, in December 2011, O'Reilly revealed that AoP would in fact be replaced at that time by a new series, Under the Influence , reflecting the shift of marketing from a "one-way conversation" to a "delicate dialogue".[3]
Episode list
[edit ]Note: Starting in season 2, episodes in italics are repeat broadcasts. Links in the episode title take you to an online copy of the episode. Links in the date take you to a summary only.
Season 1
[edit ]| Ep # | Episode Title | Broadcast Date |
|---|---|---|
| 1x01 | Clutter | 2006年09月07日 |
| 1x02 | The Language of Persuasion | 2006年09月14日 |
| 1x03 | Rinse and Repeat | 2006年09月21日 |
| 1x04 | Yoots - Youth Marketing | 2006年09月28日 |
| 1x05 | The Lesson of Clark Gable's Undershirt | 2006年10月05日 |
| 1x06 | The Long and Short of It | 2006年10月12日 |
| 1x07 | Breaking the Contract | 2006年10月19日 |
| 1x08 | The Rise and Fall and Rise of Branded Entertainment | 2006年10月26日 |
| 1x09 | The Human Face of Persuasion | 2006年11月02日 |
| 1x10 | All the World's a Marketing Opportunity | 2006年11月09日 |
| 1x11 | Walk 1.6 Kilometres in My Shoes | 2006年11月16日 |
| 1x12 | Strange But True Tales of Market Research | 2006年11月23日 |
| 1x13 | Love, Marriage and Sexual Tension | 2006年11月30日 |
| 1x14 | Branding a Nation | 2006年12月07日 |
| 1x15 | The Persuasive Power of Storytelling | 2007年01月15日 |
| 1x16 | Protecting the Celebrity Brand | 2007年01月25日 |
| 1x17 | Goin' to the Show: Super Bowl Ads | 2007年02月01日 |
| 1x18 | A Sense of Persuasion | 2007年02月08日 |
| 1x19 | Leaving Your Mark | 2007年02月15日 |
| 1x20 | The YouTube Revolution
The trends in media usage by advertisers are examined, from the rise and fall of radio and television advertising, to viral videos and non-media "idea" advertising. |
2007年03月03日 |
| 1x21 | By Any Other Name | 2007年03月08日 |
| 1x22 | Guerrillas in Our Midst | 2007年03月29日 |
| 1x23 | Frontiers and Boundaries | 2007年04月05日 |
| 1x24 | Reviving the Brand | 2007年04月12日 |
| 1x25 | It's the Insight, Stupid! | 2007年04月19日 |
| 1x26 | Award in Edgewise | 2007年04月26日 |
| 1x27 | The Wall of Cynicism | 2007年05月31日 |
| 1x28 | The Future of Persuasion | 2007年06月14日 |
| 1x29 | Do This or Die | 2007年06月21日 |
Season 2
[edit ]| Ep # | Broadcast # | Episode Title | Broadcast Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2x01 | 201 | There's Never a Marques of Queensbury Around When You Need One | 2008年01月12日 |
| 2x02 | 202 | The Sport of Persuasion | 2008年01月19日 |
| 2x03 | 203 | Old Media, New Media, Borrowed Media, Blue Media | 2008年01月26日 |
| 2x04 | 204 | Branding the News | 2008年02月02日 |
| 1x22 | 205 | Guerillas in our Midst | 2008年02月09日 |
| 2x05 | 206 | Everything I Need to Know About Life I Learned from Agency Pitches | 2008年02月16日 |
| 1x19 | 207 | Leaving Your Mark | 2008年02月23日 |
| 2x06 | 208 | 23 things I'd Like to Change About Advertising | 2008年03月01日 |
| 1x24 | 209 | Reviving the Brand | 2008年03月08日 |
| 2x07 | 210 | The Trouble with Big | 2008年03月15日 |
| 2x08 | 211 | Royal Jelly | 2008年03月22日 |
| 2x09 | 212 | Advertisers as Censors | 2008年03月29日 |
| 1x26 | 213 | Award in Edgewise | 2008年04月05日 |
| 2x10 | 214 | Crowd Control | 2008年04月12日 |
| 2x11 | 215 | The Strategy of Persuasion
The importance of a strategy in advertising. |
2008年04月19日 |
| 2x12 | 216 | In Defence of Advertising
Terry O'Reilly defends advertising, arguing that an advertisement-free world would not be as nice as some people might think. |
2008年04月26日 |
| 1x25 | 217 | It's the Insight, Stupid!
The importance of an insight in modern persuasion. |
2008年05月03日 |
| 2x13 | 218 | Emotion
Why the best advertisers win customers through the heart, not with facts. |
2008年05月10日 |
| 2x14 | 219 | The Myth of Mass Marketing
An examination of the myth of "mass marketing" and the effectiveness of one-on-one selling. |
2008年05月17日 |
| 2x15 | 220 | Selling War
How advertising has been used (and is still being used) to recruit soldiers and create support for wars. |
2008年05月24日 |
| 1x23 | 221 | Frontiers and Boundaries
An examination of how what is acceptable in an advertising has changed over time and how this reflects the change in a society's values. |
2008年05月31日 |
| 2x16 | 222 | Advertising as the New Sugar Daddy
A short history of sponsorship in advertising. |
2008年06月07日 |
| 2x17 | 223 | Persuasion in the Niches
How (and why) the one-size-fits-all mass marketing is being replaced with marketing targeted at smaller market niches. |
2008年06月14日 |
| 2x18 | 224 | Six Remarkable Brands
Examples of six remarkable brands - including a media icon (Oprah Winfrey), a rock and roll band (The Beatles), an athlete (Muhammad Ali), a toy (Lego), a city (Las Vegas), and a large animal (polar bear). |
2008年06月21日 |
| Ep # | Broadcast # | Episode Title | Broadcast Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3x01 | 301 | A Taste for Blood: Direct Marketing | 2009年01月05日 |
| 3x02 | 302 | Recession Marketing | 2009年01月12日 |
| 3x03 | 303 | Nasty is the New Nice | 2009年01月19日 |
| 3x04 | 304 | Rethink the Shark | 2009年01月26日 |
| 3x05 | 305 | According to Hoyle | 2009年02月02日 |
| 1x09 | 306 | The Human Face of Persuasion | 2009年02月07日 |
| 1x07 | 307 | Breaking the Contract | 2009年02月14日 |
| 3x06 | 308 | Commandeering Holidays | 2009年02月19日 |
| 3x07 | 309 | Great Canadian Campaigns | 2009年03月07日 |
| 3x08 | 310 | Repetition Repetition Repetition | 2009年03月09日 |
| 3x09 | 311 | Sun Tzu and the Art of... Persuasion | 2009年03月16日 |
| 3x01 | 312 | A Taste for Blood: Direct Marketing | 2009年03月23日 |
| 3x10 | 313 | Selling God | 2009年03月30日 |
| 3x11 | 314 | Brand Loyalty | 2009年04月06日 |
| 3x12 | 315 | Big and Small | 2009年04月13日 |
| 3x02 | 316 | Recession Marketing | 2009年04月20日 |
| 3x13 | 317 | The Real Deal: Authenticity | 2009年04月27日 |
| 3x14 | 318 | The Myths of Persuasion | 2009年05月04日 |
| 3x15 | 319 | Marketing the Invisible | 2009年05月11日 |
| 3x07 | 320 | Great Canadian Campaigns | 2009年05月18日 |
| 3x16 | 321 | Entertainment or Nothing | 2009年05月25日 |
| 3x17 | 322 | The Museum of Persuasion | 2009年06月01日 |
| 3x18 | 323 | Urban Legends | 2009年06月08日 |
| 3x19 | 324 | Embracing New Media | 2009年06月15日 |
| 3x20 | 325 | Ask Terry (2009) | 2009年06月22日 |
| Ep # | Broadcast # | Episode Title | Broadcast Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4x01 | 401 | Marketing the Unpleasant | 2010年01月02日 |
| 4x02 | 402 | Buzz | 2010年01月09日 |
| 4x03 | 403 | Pitchmen | 2010年01月16日 |
| 4x04 | 404 | Heroes & Villains | 2010年01月23日 |
| 4x05 | 405 | Persuasion Fail | 2010年01月30日 |
| 4x06 | 406 | Slogans | 2010年02月06日 |
| 4x07 | 407 | Categories | 2010年02月13日 |
| 4x08 | 408 | Are People Idiots? | 2010年02月20日 |
| 4x09 | 409 | Being There: Selling Experiences | 2010年02月27日 |
| 4x01 | 410 | Marketing the Unpleasant | 2010年03月06日 |
| 4x10 | 411 | All Things Being Equal: Parity Products | 2010年03月13日 |
| 4x11 | 412 | Context | 2010年03月20日 |
| 4x02 | 413 | Buzz | 2010年03月27日 |
| 4x12 | 414 | Oddballs: Singular Campaigns | 2010年04月03日 |
| 4x13 | 415 | Privacy | 2010年04月10日 |
| 4x03 | 416 | Pitchmen | 2010年04月17日 |
| 4x14 | 417 | Where Power Resides | 2010年04月24日 |
| 4x15 | 418 | Profiles in (Marketing) Courage | 2010年05月01日 |
| 4x16 | 419 | Negative Advertising | 2010年05月08日 |
| 4x17 | 420 | Opportunism | 2010年05月15日 |
| 4x18 | 421 | A Few More Remarkable Brands | 2010年05月22日 |
| 4x19 | 422 | Ask Terry Some More | 2010年05月29日 |
| 4x20 | 423 | Looking For the Admen in Madmen [5] | 2010年06月05日 |
Season 5
[edit ]Opening theme
[edit ]The title theme, composed by Ari Posner and Ian LeFeuvre, consists of a series of ten sound clips from ads and speeches, played over the theme music. Static is heard between each clip, giving the impression of changing between stations on a radio. The title is announced in the middle of the clips. In each episode, one clip is different, similar to the couch gag in the opening to The Simpsons .
Theme lyrics
[edit ]Season 1
[edit ]Read. My. Lips. / This is the CBS News / I've fallen and I can't get up! / Don't be a square / The only thing we have to fear is... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Oh, the humanity! / Chops, dices, minces / Yeeeargh! / It's that simple.
Season 2
[edit ]I want chicken, I want liver / "I wanna bottle of Coca-Cola!" "Sonny..." / That's a spicy meat-a-ball! / Hey, great, a toothpaste should fight cavities / I can't believe I ate that whole... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Ho, ho, ho / Hoo-hoo! / Mamma mia! / There you go again.
Season 3
[edit ]I'm Barack Obama, and I approve this message / "Another cup of Maxwell House coffee, George?" "Sure, pour me a cup, Gracie!" / Hoo-wah! / "Hello, I'm a Mac," "And I'm a PC!" "Whooooo!" "Whoo!" / The only thing we have to fear is... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Bromo-Seltzer, Bromo-Seltzer, Bromo-Seltzer... / Got milk? / Don't leave home without it / Isn't that amazing?
Season 4
[edit ]I'm not a doctor, but I play one on TV / It's the fishing invention of the century / This is only a test / It's Patrick, he took out life insurance / I'm not only the Hair Club president, I'm also a client / The only thing we have to fear is... / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / Takes a licking and keeps on ticking / He likes it! Hey, Mikey! / Yes! We! Can!
Season 5
[edit ]Hello, ladies / Tacos... fettuccine, linguine, martini, bikini / Wow, what's that aftershave you're wearing? / Cough suppressant as effective as codeine, but not narcotic / It'll keep your kids quiet for hours / Tonight's episode brought to you by / (clip) / And now, Terry O'Reilly and The Age of Persuasion / We are not afraid to get mavericky in there / Ha-ha-ha-haaa / Thank you for your support.
Running gags
[edit ]- In the opening theme, one sound clip is changed in each episode which, when following the previous clip, makes up a nonsense sentence. Depending on the season, the preceding clip is either Franklin D. Roosevelt's "The only thing we have to fear is..." (from his famous inauguration speech)(seasons 1, 3 & 4), a man saying, "I can't believe I ate that whole..." (from a commercial for Alka-Seltzer)(season 2), or an announcer saying "Tonight's episode brought to you by..." (season 5).
- When Terry sets up the premise for an episode in the form of a letter from a listener, there is usually a postscript confusing Terry with retired ice hockey player Joseph James Terrence "Terry" O'Reilly, who played as a right-winger for the Boston Bruins.
- Terry directly interacts with "Keith" (Ohman, the engineer), usually to get him to play a recording clip. On more than one occasion, Keith has been asked for a hammer, which is then used to destroy a piece of electronic equipment playing something especially irksome.
- When it is necessary to define a phrase or concept, the definition is usually delivered by Steve Gardner, over a clip of upbeat 1950s-style educational film music.
- After Terry makes a pun, he "puts a dollar in the Age of Persuasion pun jar", accompanied by the sound of change being dropped into a glass jar. Examples include Home Depot having "nailed down" its emotional hook and Beethoven being able to reject "overtures" from nobles.
- When Terry mentions an object with potentially injurious consequences, such as a Taser or a pneumatic nail gun, a sound effect of the device in action is played, followed by a man with a low-pitched voice quietly saying, "Ow."
- Throughout season 4, co-creator Mike Tennant appears on location in various settings, such as in the audience of a medicine show or as a shill in an auction.
- During the end credits, the announcer makes commentary on the people mentioned, the comments invariably being linked to the episode's theme. The announcer is the same woman for all seasons except Season 3, when she was replaced by a man (Mike Tennant) who began the credits by saying, "Say, folks..."
End Credits
[edit ](Seasons 1–4)
- Created and written by Terry O'Reilly and Mike Tennant
- Engineer, Keith Ohman
- Title music by Ari Posner and Ian Lefeuvre
- The Age of Persuasion is produced for CBC Radio by Pirate Radio & Television, Toronto
(Season 5)
- Written by Terry O'Reilly
- Engineer, Keith Ohman
- Title music by Ari Posner and Ian Lefeuvre
- Created by Terry O'Reilly and Mike Tennant
- The Age of Persuasion is produced by Pirate Toronto & New York
Awards
[edit ]New York Festivals, World's Best Radio Programs & Promotions
AOP Goes to the Movies
- Business/Consumer Issues: Gold
- Best Writing: Silver
Speed Bumps
- Best Writing: Silver
- Business/Consumer Issues: Bronze
Grand Award: AOP Goes to the Movies
New York Festivals, World's Best Radio Programs & Promotions
The Happy Homemaker: How Advertising Invented the Housewife
- Business/Consumer Issues: Gold
Luxury Advertising
- Best Writing: Silver
Grand Award: The Happy Homemaker: How Advertising Invented the Housewife
References
[edit ]- ^ Age of Persuasion blog 24 Dec 2010 The Age of Persuasion has some BIG news
- ^ O'Reilly, Terry (2011年11月21日). "Tweet from Terry O'Reilly: "Back Jan. 7th RT @DetectedTachyon: @AgeOfPersuasion Hey Terry, when do you get back on the air with AoP?"". Twitter . Retrieved 2011年12月12日.
- ^ O'Reilly, Terry. "Welcome to a Brand New Radio Show" . Retrieved 2011年12月12日.
- ^ a b The Age of Persuasion at CBC Radio
- ^ Names for episodes taken from Mike Tennant's Age of Persuasion FAQ, updated 30 March 2010
External links
[edit ]- Official Age of Persuasion podcast at the CBC, starting January 2011.
- Official CBC website for the show As of 28 July 2008 this contained streaming content of all the episodes in the series 3, as well as some earlier episodes.
- iTunes Podcast link
- Unofficial Age of Persuasion podcast at feedburner.com
- Unofficial Age of Persuasion podcast at castroller.com
- Terry O'Reilly's Webpage
- Mike Tennant's Webpage