Newsjacking

Summary

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly

Episode: Newsjacking

Date: May 30, 2026

Host: Terry O’Reilly | Apostrophe Podcast Network

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Terry O’Reilly explores the marketing tactic known as newsjacking—when brands hijack breaking news stories to boost their own visibility, relevance, and engagement. With wit and marketing insight, Terry offers real-world examples of successful and disastrous newsjacking campaigns, illustrating the risks and rewards of acting fast in the media spotlight.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What Is Newsjacking?

• Definition: Newsjacking is when brands quickly leverage breaking news stories to create timely marketing messages that piggyback on a story’s viral momentum.
• Key Insight: Timing and relevance are everything. When done well, newsjacking can skyrocket a brand’s reach — but the speed required can also lead to embarrassing missteps.
• “Timing is everything in the world of marketing too, and leveraging news stories that go viral is becoming a valuable marketing tactic. The official term is newsjacking.” (Terry O’Reilly, 07:32)

---

2. Serendipity and Timing: The Mark Jackson Card

• Story: A 1990 Mark Jackson NBA trading card gained sudden value after the Menendez brothers were depicted courtside on the card during a surge in media attention from a high-profile Netflix series.
• Marketing Lesson: Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time can boost value and notoriety unexpectedly—not through intent, but through serendipity.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “The fact the Menendez brothers were captured in that Mark Jackson trading card photo is pure coincidence. And the fact the card has become more valuable because the brothers were back in the news is pure serendipity, proving once again that timing is everything.” (07:19)

---

3. Case Study: Booker's Ladder & The Louvre Heist

• Event: Thieves used a Booker Agilo ladder to steal crown jewels from the Louvre.
• Booker’s Reaction: The next day, Booker posted an ad featuring their ladder leaning against the Louvre balcony with the headline: “The next time you need things to move quickly,” highlighting the product’s capabilities.
• Result: The ad went viral, reaching 1.7 million people (instead of their usual 15,000), and received overwhelmingly positive feedback.
• Takeaway:
  • Quick, clever, and contextually relevant newsjacking grabs major attention at little cost.
  • “It was a crown jewel example of newsjacking.” (Terry O’Reilly, 10:01)
  • “The story was relevant to the Booker brand. The latter company had moved quickly while the story was hot, and the resulting ad gained a lot of attention.” (10:43)

---

4. The British Geological Survey and ‘Swift Quakes’

• Background: During three Taylor Swift concerts in Edinburgh, seismic activity was recorded due to the fans’ enthusiasm.
• BGS Campaign: Issued a playful press release revealing which Taylor Swift songs caused the most ground movement, cross-referenced with concert setlists.
• Global Impact: The fun, data-driven story was picked up and shared around the world, elevating the BGS’s public profile.
• Notable Stats:
  • The fans generated 8 kilowatts (80,000 watts) of power.
  • Largest tremor occurred after “Champagne Problems,” during a four-minute applause, detectable from 6 km away.
• Memorable Quote:
  • “Taylor Swift’s fans made the earth move.” (Terry O’Reilly, paraphrased from 12:15)

---

5. Norwegian Airlines’ ‘Brad is Single’ Ad

• Situation: When Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie announced their divorce, Norwegian Airlines quickly ran a cheeky ad:
  • “Brad is single. Oslo to Los Angeles one way 169 pounds.”
• Effect: The ad received worldwide press coverage, perfectly matching Norwegian’s “challenger brand” mentality.
• Quote:
  • “They gain market share by being bold. And the Brad is single ad was perfectly in keeping with Norwegian Airlines established cheeky brand character.” (15:00)

---

6. Risks of Rapid Response: DiGiorno’s Hashtag Backfire

• Incident: DiGiorno Pizza attempted to hijack the trending hashtag #WhyIStayed (which addressed serious domestic violence issues) with a tone-deaf tweet:
  • “#WhyIStayed You had pizza.”
• Backlash: Massive negative response; DiGiorno issued multiple apologies, admitting they failed to research the context.
• Lesson:
  • Move quickly, but never skip due diligence.
  • “With newsjacking, it has to happen quickly, but it still requires quick homework first.” (Terry O’Reilly, 19:40)

---

7. Burger King Sweden: ‘Not Big Macs’ Menu

• News: McDonald’s lost its “Big Mac” trademark in the EU.
• Newsjacking Execution: Burger King rebranded menu items with names like:
  • “Kind of like a Big Mac, but juicier and tastier”
  • “The burger Big Mac wished it was”
• Result:
  • Millions of media impressions.
  • Best January sales week ever for Burger King Sweden.
• Notable Moment:
  • “The not Big Mac's newsjacking not only resulted in millions of media impressions, it was the best January sales week ever for Burger King in Sweden.” (22:36)

---

8. McDonald’s India: Make Your Choice

• Context: Low youth turnout in Indian elections.
• Stunt: On election day, McDonald's India staff gave random menu items to young customers, explaining:
  • “If you don't vote, you lose the right to choose.”
• Impact:
  • The campaign went viral and may have contributed to the highest voter turnout (67%) in Indian history.
• Quote:
  • “When you give up your vote, you give up your right to choose.” (Terry O’Reilly, 25:55)

---

9. Specsavers and the Oscars Mix-Up

• Incident: The infamous 2017 Oscars Best Picture envelope mistake.
• Specsavers’ Response: Digital billboards overnight with the message:
  • “Not getting the Best picture. Should have gone to Specsavers.”
  • Image: Wrong envelope being pulled out, tying to their “should have gone to Specsavers” campaign.
• Takeaway: Fast-turnaround humor can create memorable, widely shared brand moments.

---

Final Takeaways & Reflections

• Quick and Clever:
  • Newsjacking’s greatest power is relevance and speed, but both are double-edged swords.
  • Success brings millions of impressions and strong brand associations at very low cost.
  • Missteps can lead to public backlash or be perceived as insensitive.
• Quote:
  • “Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle, sometimes it goes horribly sideways, and sometimes it gets weird. Just ask Mark Jackson.” (32:00)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |------------------------------------------------------|-------------| | Mark Jackson Card & Menendez Brothers | 02:53–07:19 | | What is Newsjacking? (Definition & Overview) | 07:19–08:14 | | Booker Ladder & Louvre Heist | 08:25–10:43 | | British Geological Survey & Taylor Swift ‘Swiftquake’| 10:44–13:50 | | Norwegian Airlines ‘Brad is Single’ | 14:10–15:42 | | Uber’s “Thanks for Not Riding” ad | 18:06–18:43 | | DiGiorno’s #WhyIStayed Blunder | 18:44–19:54 | | McD’s EU Legal Loss, Burger King’s ‘Not Big Macs’ | 20:21–22:36 | | McDonald’s India ‘Make Your Choice’ Campaign | 24:29–26:00 | | Specsavers and the Oscars Mix-Up | 27:08–29:20 | | Newsjacking: Risks, Rewards, and Wrap-Up | 30:40–32:00 |

---

Notable Quotes

• “Newsjacking requires very little effort, just a little creativity to link the brand to the story and a very quick turnaround. When done right, it can massively expand the reach of a brand, all without spending $1 on media. When it goes wrong, it's just massively embarrassing.” — Terry O’Reilly (07:32)
• “If you don't vote, you lose the right to choose.” — McDonald's India Staff (25:51)
• “Not getting the Best picture. Should have gone to Specsavers.” — Specsavers’ Billboard (29:03)

---

Tone and Style

Terry O’Reilly delivers insights with his signature blend of humor, storytelling, and concise marketing wisdom. The episode balances entertaining anecdotes with practical lessons, and repeatedly emphasizes that while newsjacking offers big rewards, it requires a rare combination of quick wit, speed, and judgment.

---

Summary prepared for listeners seeking the essential lessons and most entertaining brand stories from “Under the Influence: Newsjacking” with Terry O’Reilly.

Transcript

[Callie]

Hi, I'm Callie. I'm a co founder of Apostrophe Podcasts alongside Terri, Debbie and Sydney. We're a family business that brings you a family of podcasts. We also have a subscription option where you can listen ad free, hear bonus episodes like My Sit down with Terry to ask him burning questions or extended versions of under the Influence episodes. Just visit the link in the description to subscribe

[Land Rover Defender Announcer]

it's time to set your sights on higher peaks to scale, deeper rivers to cross, and greater dreams to pursue. It's time to embrace the impossible with Defender. Built with legendary capability and tested on some of the most difficult terrain, Defender defines tough luxury.

From the sleek two door Defender 90

to the purposeful Defender 110 to the

Defender 130 with seating for up to

eight, there's endless potential ahead. Explore the full Defender lineup@land roverusa.com you're

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

listening to this podcast, so I know you've got a curious mind. Here's a helpful fact you might not know yet. Drivers who switch and save with Progressive save over $900 on average. Pop over to progressive.com, answer some questions and you'll get a quick quote with discounts that are easy to come by. In fact, 99% of their auto customers earn at least one discount. Visit progressive.com and see if you can enjoy a little cash back. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates national average 12 month savings by $946 by new customers surveyed who saved with Progressive between June 2024 and May 2025. Potential savings will vary.

[Shopify Announcer]

You didn't start a business just to keep the lights on. You're here to sell more today than yesterday. You're here to win. Lucky for you, Shopify built the best converting checkout on the planet, like the Just one, tapping ridiculously fast acting sky high sales stacking champion at checkouts. That's the good Stu. So if your business is in it to win it, win with Shopify. Start your free trial [e-mail] win

[Terry O'Reilly]

this is an Apostrophe podcast production. We're going to show you our big new Studebaker.

[NASCAR Announcer]

Start the car. Mamma Mia dash a spicy meatball.

[Terry O'Reilly]

What love doesn't conquer. Alka sells her will.

[McDonald's India Staff]

What a relief.

[Land Rover Defender Announcer]

You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly.

[Terry O'Reilly]

On September 19, 2024, the television series titled the Lyle and Eric Menendez Story streamed on Netflix. The nine episode series debuted as the number one show on Netflix worldwide and was the most viewed streaming content according to Nielsen. It earned 11 Emmy nominations winning one and three Golden Globe nominations. Needless to say, the high profile show put the Menendez brothers back in the news. While the TV series let viewers reach their own conclusions about the verdict, it heightened the anticipation of the upcoming parole hearing scheduled for the brothers who had been incarcerated for 35 years. And all that news heightened the demand for a certain basketball card. Mark Jackson was a point guard in the NBA. He played from 1987 until 2004. Jackson was with a number of teams in his career, including playing 54 games for the Toronto Raptors in the 20002001 season. Jackson had a pretty good career and is number six on the all time assist list. As with all NBA players, his image was on a trading card every year. But one of his cards in particular is is a collector's item. Specifically his 1990 card when he played for the New York Knicks. The reason Jackson's 1990 card is so valuable has nothing to do with his career, nothing to do with points scored or games played. It all has to do with the photo on the trading card. The card shows Jackson passing the ball to his right with the crowd behind him. But if you look closely to Jackson's left, sitting courtside, are the two Menendez brothers. The photo was taken when the brothers were attending a Knicks game at Madison Square Garden after the murder of their parents in 1989, a year before their arrests in 1990. During that period, the Menendez brothers used the insurance money they inherited to finance a lavish lifestyle. Their $700,000 spending spree included new cars, Rolex watches, $50,000 for a tennis coach, a $300,000 down payment on a new restaurant, and courtside tickets to the Knicks. That was the night they were immortalized on Mark Jackson's 1990 basketball card. When the highly rated TV series put the Menendez brothers back in the news, Jackson's trading card suddenly took on incredible interest. Ebay eventually pulled the listing for the card on its site, saying the card violated its policy because it was affiliated with known murderers. Ebay eventually lifted that ban and the sales of the card continued to mount. To give you an idea of how popular the card became, psa, or the Professional Sports Authenticator, is the largest and most trusted card grading service in the world. It grades cards on a 1 to 10 basis, 10 being the rarest, best condition, most valuable. To date, collectors have had PSA grade over 7,000 copies of the 1990 Jackson card. The only other cards from the 1990s set that have been graded more frequently, the two Michael Jordan cards for even more context. Mark Jackson card originally sold for 25 cents, but when the Menendez brothers were back in the news again, the price of Jackson's card went up to $50. The price of Jackson cards rated 10 by PSA shot up 100%, selling for between $600 and $1500 US. The fact the Menendez brothers were captured in that Mark Jackson trading card photo is pure coincidence. And the fact the card has become more valuable because the brothers were back in the news is pure serendipity, proving once again that timing is everything. Timing is everything in the world of marketing too, and leveraging news stories that go viral is becoming a valuable marketing tactic. The official term is newsjacking. When a brand hijacks a breaking news story and creates a second story that gains attention, newsjacking requires very little effort, just a little creativity to link the brand to the story and a very quick turnaround. When done right, it can massively expand the reach of a brand, all without spending $1 on media. When it goes wrong, it's just massively embarrassing.

[Land Rover Defender Announcer]

You're under the influence.

[Terry O'Reilly]

On Sunday, Oct. 19, 2025, thieves mounted a daring daylight break in at the Louvre in Paris. At 9:30am local time, thieves disguised as construction workers extended a long motorized furniture ladder with a bucket up to a balcony. To passing pedestrians and motorists, nothing seemed amiss. It looked like yet another maintenance project at the Louvre. The thieves climbed into the motorized bucket and silently raised it up the ladder to the balcony, where they smashed a window. Once inside, they cut into the display cases, grabbing eight pieces of the crown jewels worth 88 million euros. Then they jumped back into the bucket, lowered it down the ladder to the street, and escaped on scooters. Total time inside the Louvre four minutes. It was a brazen and shocking robbery. News of the heist spread like wildfire around the world. While news of the robbery stunned the public, it was particularly fascinating to a certain German company called Booker. As they watched the news footage, they suddenly noticed something and zoomed in. That's when they realized the motorized furniture ladder the thieves had used and left behind was in fact made by their company. It was a Booker Agilo furniture ladder that made the news doubly shocking to them. But once they realized no one was hurt in the robbery, they decided to take advantage of the story by using a little humor. The very next day, the Booker company created an ad. It featured a photo of the actual Booker furniture ladder leaning up against the Louvre balcony. The headline said, the next time you need things to move quickly the ad went on to say the Booker Agilo transports your treasures weighing up to 400 kilograms at 42 meters a minute. Whisper quiet thanks to its electric motor. They placed that ad on social media. Booker says the response to the newsjacking was overwhelming. The company's Instagram and Facebook pages usually reach around 15,000 people. That ad reached 1.7 million and 99% of the reactions were positive. It was a crown jewel example of newsjacking. The Loof heist story went viral. The story was relevant to the Booker brand. The latter company had moved quickly while the story was hot, and the resulting ad gained a lot of attention. The British Geological Survey, or bgs, is an organization that monitors earthquakes across the uk. As a rule, the organization doesn't get much press and it might be fair to say the general public isn't overly familiar with the BGs. But not long ago, the organization jumped on a viral news story. The BGS maintains a network of seismic instruments around the United Kingdom. These instruments are very sophisticated and sensitive and can detect even small ground motions. Typically, the BGS detects about 300 small earthquakes a year in the UK, but only 30 are of a high enough magnitude to be felt by humans. As it Happened on Friday, June 7, 2024, Taylor Swift was performing at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh, Scotland. She performed there three nights in a row and during all three concerts the British Geological Survey registered seismic movement. That seismic movement came from the audiences at the Taylor Swift concerts. The BGS put out a news release stating that Taylor Swift's fans made the earth move. While I've talked about Swift quakes before, the British Geological Survey Organization went one step further. It actually calculated which songs caused the biggest commotion. Taylor Swift shows are precisely timed and exquisitely choreographed, so every show runs at exactly the same time intervals every night. Therefore, the seismic spikes occurred at the same points every night. One of the volcanologists from the BGS attended the Swift concerts and took photos and videos of each song, which then allowed the BGS to cross reference when seismic spikes happened in relation to the timestamps on the photos. So according to the British Geological Survey Organization, the following three Taylor Swift songs created the most seismic Cruel Summer, Ready for It and Champagne Problems. Those were the songs that caused the 73,000 nightly fans to dance, to cheer and stomp the most. The Swifties generated 8 kilowatts or 80,000 watts of power, and the largest movement of the earth wasn't actually during a song. It occurred during the four minutes of applause after the song. Champagne Problems that particular movement was detected by two different monitoring stations, the furthest being 6km or 3.7 miles away. It was kind of a seismic moment for the BGS as its news story got shared around the world. Back in 2016, news of a certain Hollywood divorce took international media by storm. And it wasn't just any Hollywood couple, it was Hollywood royalty. Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were splitting up. The split consumed gossip magazines, newspaper column inches and TV screens. That was when Norwegian Airlines decided to newsjack the conversations that were taking place around water coolers, coffee shops and offices around the world. To promote Norwegian Airlines low fare from Oslo to Los Angeles, it ran a large ad in newspapers. The ad simply said Brad is single Oslo to Los Angeles one way 169 pounds. It was a very funny quick response to the news of the breakup. It also demonstrated how nimble Norwegian Airlines is. I don't think big North American airlines could move that fast or be that bold. Norwegian Airlines says it has a challenger brand mentality, meaning they're not afraid to disrupt the industry and shake up the status quo. They gain market share by being bold. And the Brad is single ad was perfectly in keeping with Norwegian Airlines established cheeky brand character. Not only did that news jacking get the airline a lot of business, it became a news item around the world. When we come back, a pizza company newsjacks the wrong hashtag.

[Land Rover Defender Announcer]

It's time to set your sights on higher peaks to scale, deeper rivers to cross and greater dreams to pursue. It's time to embrace the impossible with Defender. Built with legendary capability and tested on some of the most difficult terrain, Defender defines tough luxury.

From the sleek two door Defender 90

to the purposeful Defender 110 to the

Defender 130 with seating for up to

eight, there's endless potential ahead. Explore the full Defender LineUp@Land RoverUSA.com Insurance

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

isn't one size fits all. That's why drivers have enjoyed Progressive's name your price tool for years.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Now.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

With the name your price tool, you tell them what you want to pay and they'll show you options that fit your budget. So whether you're picking out your first policy or just looking for something that works better for you and your family, they make it easy to see your options. Visit progressive.com, find a rate that works for you with the name your price tool. Progressive Casualty Insurance company and Affiliates Price and coverage match limited by state law

[NASCAR Announcer]

come on the rise. NASCAR on Prime Lights up Music City.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Here we go, Nashville.

[McDonald's India Staff]

See what you got here.

[NASCAR Announcer]

Who's got what it takes to tackle the concrete at Nashville Super Speedway and walk away with NASCAR's coolest trophy.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Here it is. Can he do it?

[NASCAR Announcer]

Stream the Cracker Barrel 400 in Nashville Sunday at 6pm Eastern, where music meets motorsports only on Prime. Not a Prime member? Not a problem. Simply sign up for a 30 day free trial. Restrictions apply. See Amazon.com Amazon prime for details.

[Terry O'Reilly]

If you remember back to the pandemic in 2020, there was a lot of news coming out daily and when the world went into lockdown life as we knew it turned upside down. One of the most unusual ads that leveraged that lockdown news came from Uber. It ran an emotional video on social media showing various people around the world dealing with the lockdown. The message thanks for not riding with Uber. It was a jarring message coming from a company that moves people, asking people not to move. It urged drivers and riders to stay home and save lives. The video gained over half a million views almost instantly and news of the message went viral. While newsjacking can attract a huge audience, it can be a double edged sword. When the hashtag WhyIStayed first appeared in September of 2014, it was to shine a spotlight on serious issues surrounding domestic violence. Thousands of women began opening up about why they stayed in violent relationships. While the key to newsjacking is to move quickly, sometimes brands can move too quickly, DiGiorno Pizza tweeted the WhyIStayed then added, you had pizza. It got a torrent of backlash. Soon after, DiGiorno tweeted a million apologies. Did not read what the hashtag was about before posting, and therein lies the tripwire. With newsjacking, it has to happen quickly, but it still requires quick homework first. Back in 2019, news emerged that McDonald's had lost its Big Mac trademark in Europe. McD's lost the trademark after a nine year legal battle with an Irish fast food chain called Supermax. Supermax was founded in 1978 by Pat McDonough and Mac was his nickname when he was a college Gaelic football player. Supermax had faced opposition from McDonald's over the naming of some of its menu items, like a burger called the Mighty Mac, which shared many ingredients with the Big Mac. McDonald's suggested that the similarity in names might confuse customers. Supermax argued that McDonald's lawsuits were preventing the chain from expanding outside of Ireland, so the case was put before the European Union Intellectual Property Office. When the final decision was made, it sided with Supermacs, saying McDonald's hadn't proven genuine use of the Big Mac trademark in the EU. Specifically McDonald's had lost the Big Mac trademark when it came to chicken burgers because it had not used the trademark continuously for five years, which trademark law requires. That left the Big Mac trademark up for grabs. Supermax rejoiced, saying it was a victory for all small businesses. That news also delighted Burger King in Sweden. The Swedish Burger King couldn't resist newsjacking the story because anybody could use the name Big Mac now. It created a limited time menu called not Big Mac's. For example, it renamed a burger like a Big Mac, but actually big. A burger combo was named kinda like a Big Mac, but juicier and tastier. Another big burger was rechristened the burger Big Mac wished it was Burger King then put out a video on social media that showed customers actually ordering their newly named burgers. Anything but a Big Mac.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Yes, kind of like a Big Mac, but juicier and tastier.

[Shopify Announcer]

The burger Big Mac wish is this

[Terry O'Reilly]

anything but a Big Mac.

[McDonald's India Staff]

I'd like a Big Mac, but actually

[Terry O'Reilly]

big the not Big Mac's. Newsjacking not only resulted in millions of media impressions. It was the best January sales week ever for Burger King in Sweden. When we come back, McDonald's takes a swing at newsjacking.

[Land Rover Defender Announcer]

It's time to set your sights on higher peaks to scale, deeper rivers to cross and greater dreams to pursue. It's time to embrace the impossible with Defender. Built with legendary capability and tested on some of the most difficult terrain, Defender defines tough luxury.

From the sleek two door Defender 90

to the purposeful Defender 110 to the

Defender 130 with seating for up to

eight, there's endless potential ahead. Explore the full Defender [e-mail] Summer smells like citrus in the sun. Turn your home into a daily getaway with Pura's new summer collection. Find your flow and fragrance and explore

[Liberty Mutual Announcer]

the [e-mail] Liberty Mutual customizes your car and home insurance. And now we're customizing this ad for your morning commute to wake you up, which could help your driving. Science says that stimulating the brain increases alertness. So here's a pop. How many months have 28 days. What gets wetter as it dries? What has keys but can't open locks? If you don't want to hear the answers, turn off this Liberty Mutual AD. Now 12 months. A towel, piano. Enjoy being fully alert.

[Terry O'Reilly]

During the 2014 election in India, voter turnout was historically low. 280 million of the 900 million citizens on the electoral register opted not to vote in the general election, most of those non voters were young. Five years later, in 2019, over 130 million young people were now eligible to vote. But news stories again predicted another low turnout. So McDonald's in India decided to do a little newsjacking. On election day, at various McDonald's locations, the staff did something highly unusual. They took customer orders, but didn't give them what they asked for.

[McDonald's India Staff]

This is paneer.

[Terry O'Reilly]

I asked for chicken burger.

[McDonald's India Staff]

I've ordered some McChicken. I know, ma', am, but McPaneer is what you get to do.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Every time a young voting age customer came up to order, the staff chose what they got instead.

[McDonald's India Staff]

Yes, sir. This is what we have chosen for you today, sir. What do you mean by you chose, sir? Exactly, sir. I chose for you, sir.

[Terry O'Reilly]

When customers insisted they get what they ordered, the McDonald's staff explained what was going on.

[McDonald's India Staff]

I have paid for it. You better give me what I want. Yes, ma'. Am. But have you voted? What, ma'?

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Am?

[McDonald's India Staff]

You didn't vote, right? If you don't vote, you lose the right to choose.

[Terry O'Reilly]

When customers were finally given what they ordered, the liner on their food tray said, when you give up your vote, you give up your right to choose. Customers were then reminded that the voting booths were still open and they had time to cast their vote. A video was created from that day and was posted on social media where it attracted a big reaction. The hashtag was make your choice. Did it help? Possibly. Voter turnout in that election was 67%, the highest ever in a general Indian election. Specsavers is one of my favorite advertisers. It always does. Very funny, effective ads. In one television commercial, a woman marches into a restaurant and is shocked to find her bearded husband dining with another woman.

[Shopify Announcer]

How could you do this to me, Barry?

[Terry O'Reilly]

She throws a glass of water in his face. That's when she hears this.

[Chase Sapphire Reserve Announcer]

I'm over here, Bev.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Her actual husband, also bearded, is sitting at another table. Spec Savers sponsors Emmerdale. So funny. Were you watching the oscars back in 2017? If you did, you would remember what happened on stage when Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway announced the biggest award of the night, the winner of the best picture category. Beatty opens the envelope, looks at the card inside, then hesitates. He looks confused. And the Academy Award. For best picture.

[NASCAR Announcer]

You're impossible.

[Shopify Announcer]

Come on.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Then he looks off stage. He hands the card to Faye Dunaway, who announces La La Land. Then the project director and cast of La La Land jump up onto the stage and begin their acceptance speeches. Two full minutes later, this happened. I'm sorry. No, there's a mistake. Moonlight. You guys won Best Picture.

[Land Rover Defender Announcer]

Moonlight won.

[Shopify Announcer]

This is not a joke.

[Terry O'Reilly]

This is not a joke. I'm afraid they read the wrong thing. Moonlight. Best Picture. It was un. Bleached. Unbelievable. A colossal mix up. Only two people from Price Waterhouse know the winners beforehand. They alone bring the classic red envelopes in closely held briefcases to the Oscars that night. Their job is to guard the envelopes and hand them to the right presenter. When it came time for the Best Picture, the biggest award of the night, the Pricewaterhouse person handed the wrong envelope to Warren Beatty instead of the one that said moonlight was the winner. Beatty was given the envelope that said Emma Stone had won Best Actress for La La Land, which was a previous award that evening. That's why Beatty hesitated when he looked at the card. He knew it was wrong, but it was the card he was handed. When he gave the card to Faye Duniway to read out loud, her eyes went straight to La La Land. As you can imagine, that Oscar screw up was big news that shot around the world. And good old Specsavers saw a perfect news jacking opportunity. The very next morning after the Oscars, it put up digital billboards that said, not getting the Best picture. The billboard showed a card being pulled out of a red envelope in front of an audience. The writing on that card said, should have gone to Specsavers. The concept of newsjacking has been around for a while, but it is clearly becoming an increasingly popular marketing tactic for brands. It offers the potential to gain a lot of attention. It requires a nimble team to first spot an opportunity, then quickly create an ad while the story is still hot, then toss it out into the world and cross their fingers. Newsjacking is almost always a double edged sword. Lots of people laughed at the Louvre ladder ad, but others thought it was in bad taste. The British Geological Survey and Norwegian Airlines had fun jumping on news stories and the Specsaver's Oscars ad was a hoot. But it didn't go so well for Digiorno Pizza. The upside, of course, is that newsjacking doesn't cost any media dollars. The downside is that brands have to jump on a news story immediately with virtually no time for contemplation or second guessing. Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle, sometimes it goes horribly sideways, and sometimes it gets weird. Just ask Mark Jackson when you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the Tear Stream Mobile recording studio producer Debbie O'Reilly chief sound engineer Jeff Devine Theme music by Casey Pick, Jeremiah Pick and James Ayton tunage provided by APM Music. Follow me at Terry Oinfluence this podcast is powered by Acast, Terry's top slogans of all time. Number 22 Maxwell House Coffee Good to the last drop. See you next week.

[Chase Sapphire Reserve Announcer]

This is a vacation with Chase Sapphire Reserve the butler who knows your name. This is the robe, the view, the steam from your morning coffee. This is the complimentary breakfast on the balcony, the beach with no one else on it. This is the Edit, a collection of handpicked luxury hotels you can access with Chase Sapphire Reserve and a $500 Edit credit that gets you closer to all of it. Chase Sapphire Reserve now even more rewarding.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

Learn [e-mail] Sapphire Reserve cards issued by JPMorgan Chase bank and a member FDIC

[Terry O'Reilly]

subject to credit approval it's time to

[Land Rover Defender Announcer]

set your sights on higher peaks to scale deeper rivers to cross and greater dreams to pursue. It's time to embrace the impossible with Defender. Built with legendary capability and tested on some of the most difficult terrain, Defender defines tough luxury.

From the sleek two door Defender 90

to the purposeful Defender 110 to the

Defender 130 with seating for up to

eight, there's endless potential ahead. Explore the full Defender lineup@land roverusa.com

[Terry O'Reilly]

Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

[Amy Archer]

A new season of 90 Day is upon us and Little Miss Recap has you covered. My name is Amy Archer. I am a writer, I'm a Libra, I'm a mom, and most importantly, I'm a lady of a certain age. I grew up on a steady diet of soap operas and I've now taken that lens and applied it to reality television. Together with a bunch of my friends, we talk about some of our favorite reality shows including sister wives, 90 day, fiance, love is Blind, and more. And don't forget Reality Roundup on Fridays where we talk about the latest happening on and off screen of our favorite trash reality shows. Come and join us at Little Miss Recap. That's Little Miss Recap. Listen anywhere you get Podcasts

[Terry O'Reilly]

Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcast everywhere. Acast.com Listen to this Acast show ad free on Amazon Music with your prime membership or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts.