Gold, Silver & Spinach: TV Shows As Marketing

Summary

Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly: Episode Summary

Episode Title: Gold, Silver & Spinach: TV Shows As Marketing
Release Date: August 9, 2025
Host: Terry O’Reilly
Network: Apostrophe Podcast Network

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Introduction

In this insightful episode of Under the Influence, host Terry O’Reilly delves into the symbiotic relationship between television shows and brand marketing. Exploring various iconic TV programs, Terry illustrates how these shows have transcended mere entertainment to become powerful marketing vehicles, shaping industries and consumer behaviors. Through engaging storytelling and historical anecdotes, the episode uncovers the strategic integration of products and services within popular media narratives.

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Popeye and Spinach: An Early Example of Product Marketing in TV Shows

Terry begins with the timeless character of Popeye, the sailor man whose love for spinach not only defined his superhuman strength but also revolutionized vegetable consumption among children.

• Origin of Popeye:
  “Back in 1919, illustrator E.C. Segar was asked to create a cartoon for the New York Journal...” (03:20)
  Popeye was initially intended as a temporary character in the Thimble Theater comic strip but quickly became the star due to popular demand.

• Spinach and Superpowers:
  “Whenever Popeye was facing a seemingly hopeless situation... he would quickly open a can of spinach... and be instantly instilled with superhuman powers.” (04:49)
  This recurring motif not only entertained audiences but also inadvertently promoted spinach consumption, boosting its popularity significantly.

• Impact on Spinach Consumption:
  The portrayal of spinach led to a 30% increase in its consumption among children, proving the powerful influence of media on dietary habits.

• Legacy:
  “There is a statue of the sailor man in Crystal City, Texas, the world capital of spinach.”
  Popeye’s association with spinach remains a testament to effective product placement embedded within storytelling.

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Disney's Wonderful World of Disney: Television as a Tool for Building Disneyland

Terry transitions to Walt Disney’s visionary use of television to finance and promote Disneyland, highlighting a pioneering blend of entertainment and marketing.

• Vision for Disneyland:
  “Walt Disney thought of the park as a motion picture set... every part of the park would immerse visitors in the Disney story.” (08:37)
  Disney’s innovative approach transformed theme parks into living narratives, seamlessly integrating storytelling with visitor experience.

• Television as a Funding Mechanism:
  “Walt envisioned a television program that would promote upcoming Disney movies... and showcase Disneyland every week.” (07:20)
  The Wonderful World of Disney served dual purposes: promoting Disney’s cinematic ventures and generating the capital needed to build Disneyland.

• Success and Impact:
  The TV show became a significant revenue stream for ABC, funding the construction of Disneyland and solidifying Disney’s influence in both entertainment and theme park industries.

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The Love Boat: Boosting the Cruise Industry through Television

Next, Terry explores how The Love Boat not only entertained millions but also served as a catalyst for the burgeoning cruise industry.

• Concept and Creation:
  “The Love Boat was based on a 1974 book titled The Love Boats by Geraldine Saunders...” (10:00)
  The show depicted glamorous and romantic adventures aboard a cruise ship, captivating audiences with its blend of humor and heartwarming stories.

• Marketing Through Storytelling:
  “The Love Boat was more than entertainment. It was a big weekly commercial for Princess Cruise Lines.” (14:25)
  By featuring Princess Cruise Lines prominently, the show effectively marketed cruise vacations as desirable and accessible to the average viewer.

• Industry Impact:
  The popularity of The Love Boat coincided with a 10-fold increase in cruise vacations from 500,000 in 1970 to over 5 million by the 1990s, demonstrating the show's profound influence on tourism and the economy.

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Pawn Stars: Transforming Pawn Shops into Global Brands via Reality TV

Terry then examines the phenomenon of Pawn Stars, a reality TV show that revolutionized the perception and success of pawn shops.

• Founding of the Show:
  “Rick Harrison's Pawn Shop was clean and well run... he pitched the idea of Pawn Stars after five years of rejection.” (12:15)
  The show chronicles the daily operations of the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop, blending history, negotiation, and family dynamics.

• Popularity and Growth:
  “In its first season, Pawn Stars attracted nearly 2.2 million viewers per episode. By the second season, it jumped to over 4 million.” (14:55)
  The explosive growth of the show not only elevated the shop’s status but also significantly boosted tourism in Las Vegas.

• Economic Impact:
  “Rick Harrison's Pawn Shop is thriving like it never has before... the shop airs in 38 languages in 150 countries.”
  The global reach of Pawn Stars transformed the pawn shop into an international brand, illustrating the power of reality TV in business expansion.

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Drive to Survive: Revitalizing Formula One through Netflix Series

The episode concludes with a modern example of how Drive to Survive revitalized Formula One (F1), attracting a new, diverse fanbase and increasing engagement exponentially.

• Challenges Facing F1:
  “When Liberty Media bought Formula One, the sport was in decline... fan engagement was waning.” (24:00)
  F1 needed a strategy to rejuvenate interest and attract new audiences beyond its traditional European base.

• Creation of Drive to Survive:
  “The production team filmed the first season in 2018 and titled it Drive to Survive.” (25:30)
  The documentary-style series offered an intimate look into the high-stakes world of F1, highlighting the personal and professional lives of drivers and teams.

• Impact and Success:
  “Season one convinced Ferrari and Mercedes to join in season two, leading to a 209% increase in revenues.”
  “Drive to Survive achieved Netflix top 10 status in 56 countries and ranked number one worldwide after season three.”* (28:00)
  The show not only boosted viewership but also diversified F1’s audience, making it more inclusive and globally appealing.

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Conclusion: TV Shows as Super-Fueled Marketing

In wrapping up, Terry O’Reilly emphasizes the evolving landscape of marketing through television. As traditional advertisements lose their grip due to ad-skipping technologies and streaming services, brands are ingeniously embedding themselves within compelling narratives.

• Shift in Advertising Strategies:
  “With more people skipping commercials and young viewers turning to ad-free streaming services, brands are jumping out of the commercial breaks and into the main storylines.” (33:52)
  This strategic integration ensures sustained engagement and deeper brand association.

• Future Implications:
  The examples of Popeye, Disney, The Love Boat, Pawn Stars, and Drive to Survive illustrate a trend where entertainment and marketing become indistinguishably intertwined, creating mutually beneficial relationships that propel both the media and the brands to new heights.

• Closing Thoughts:
  “When you're under the influence I'm Terry O'Reilly... TV shows are not just entertainment; they're super fueled marketing vehicles.”
  This episode underscores the profound impact of strategic storytelling in shaping consumer behavior and driving industry growth.

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Notable Quotes:

• “Whenever Popeye was facing a seemingly hopeless situation... he would quickly open a can of spinach... and be instantly instilled with superhuman powers.” - Terry O'Reilly (04:49)

• “The Love Boat was more than entertainment. It was a big weekly commercial for Princess Cruise Lines.” - Terry O'Reilly (14:25)

• “Drive to Survive achieved Netflix top 10 status in 56 countries and ranked number one worldwide after season three.”* - Terry O'Reilly (28:00)

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Final Thoughts

This episode of Under the Influence masterfully illustrates the intricate dance between storytelling and marketing. By embedding brands within beloved TV narratives, companies have harnessed the power of media to drive growth, alter consumer perceptions, and build enduring legacies. Terry O’Reilly’s exploration serves as a compelling testament to the enduring influence of television as a cornerstone of modern marketing strategies.

Transcript

[Terry O'Reilly]

Did you know that if you subscribe to our But Wait, There's More option, you get a bonus story in every episode of under the Influence. But Wait, there's more. For the price of a cup of coffee every month, you get early access so you hear every episode a full week before everybody else. Plus you enjoy that episode ad free. Tsk tsk. And by subscribing you support our podcast. Just go to Apple Podcasts and subscribe to under the Influences. But wait, there's more.

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[Terry O'Reilly]

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[Terry O'Reilly]

When you're hungry.

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You'Re in good hands with Aussie. You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Back in 1919, illustrator E.C. segar was asked to create a cartoon for the New York Journal. He titled it Thimble Theater. The lead characters were Olive Oil, her brother, Castor Oil, and Olive's boyfriend, Harold Ham Gravy. The cartoon strip became very popular 10 years later. Seagar needed a sailor for one storyline, so he created a new character called Popeye. Popeye was supposed to be a temporary one off, but so many readers wrote in requesting Popeye's return, Seagar made him a regular. And eventually Popeye became the lead character in the strip. Thimble theater starring Popeye ran in over 500 newspapers across the country. Popeye the character had a strange quirk. He loved spinach. Occasionally, when Popeye needed to save someone or fight off a big villain, Popeye would quickly open a can of spinach, gobble it down, and be instantly instilled with superhuman powers. In 1933, Popeye was adapted into a series of animated cartoons to be shown in theaters.

[Verizon]

I'm Popeye the Salem man I'm Popeye the Salem man I'm strong, suit up.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Cause I eats me spinach. I'm Popeye the sailor man. While Seagar had used spinach in his comics sparingly, the animation studio recognized the iconic aspect of Popeye's spinach jolt and featured it in every single cartoon. Whenever Popeye was facing a seemingly hopeless situation, usually having to save olive oil from harm.

[BetterHelp]

Popeye, help. Help Popeye. Popeye help me all.

[Terry O'Reilly]

He would pop open a can of spina and saved the day. In 1960, Popeye made the jump to television. A new series of cartoons was commissioned. Al Brodax, who would eventually oversee the Beatles cartoons and animated film Yellow Submarine, was put in charge. The cartoons were wildly popular, and Popeye reached an even bigger audience than ever. Spinach became such an iconic aspect of Popeye cartoons on the mass medium of television that something unexpected happened. Consumption of spinach jumped 30%. Kids who hated their vegetables could be convinced to eat spinach because Popeye did. Popeye sold so much spinach. There is a statue of the sailor man in Crystal City, Texas, the world capital of spinach. And canned Popeye spinach is still sold in supermarkets. So why did EC Seagar choose spinach to be Popeye superfuel in the first place? Well, that's the most interesting part of this story. Back in 1870, German chemist Erich von Wolf was researching the amount of iron present in green vegetables. When writing up his findings, he made a mistake. He misplaced a decimal point. Instead of writing that spinach contained 3.5 milligrams of iron per 100 gram serving, he said spinach had 35 milligrams of iron, 10 times the actual amount. And that's why E.C. seagar chose spinach to be Popeye's secret weapon. Even though Vaughn Wolfe's mistake was eventually corrected, 70 years later, the myth of spinach still remains. To this day. All thanks to a misplaced decimal point and the power of television to sell not during the commercial breaks, but within the main storyline itself. There's a lot of selling going on in the main storylines on television today too. With multiple ways to skip commercials, advertisers needed to find new ways to connect with the public. And one of the ways brands are doing that is by jumping out of the commercial breaks and into the main storylines of television shows. Which means a lot of the TV shows you enjoy today are more than just entertainment. They're actually big, super fueled marketing vehicles.

[BetterHelp]

You're under the influence.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Of a certain vintage, cast your mind back back to a time when you tuned into this beloved TV show. The wonderful World of Disney. Back in the late 1940s, Walt Disney had a vision for something bigger than a motion picture. His company already had great success pioneering full length animation movies. But Walt was becoming bored. He wanted to make history again. That's when he wondered if he could create an amusement park unlike any other that had ever been built before. Walt Disney's vision for an imaginative park was so revolutionary, his staff couldn't even get their heads around it. That's because he didn't think of it as an amusement park. He thought of it as a motion picture set. He would even describe the park's layout to people by saying, here's scene one. This is scene two, and this is scene three. Walt even planned a high embankment to surround the entire park to blot out the surroundings so visitors would be fully immersed in the experience. At first, Walt dubbed his idea Mickey Mouse Village. But soon it took on another name. Disneyland. Walt's brother, Roy Disney managed the movie studio and took care of all the money issues. His job was to keep the studio healthy, enable Walt's dreams, and throw on the emergency brake when required. When Walt purchased 160 acres of land for his Disneyland project, Roy's brake lights came on. This park was going to be incredibly expensive. More expensive than any project the Disney company had ever undertaken. The studio alone couldn't fund it. But Walt had an idea. Television would pay for it. Walt had been fascinated by television since the mid-1930s when he witnessed an RCA demonstration of the new medium. All the other movie moguls perceived television as a threat. But Walt Disney broke ranks and saw it as the next big thing. Walt envisioned a television program that would promote upcoming Disney movies, play content from the Disney library, and most of all, showcase Disneyland every week. Walt also envisioned big brands sponsoring the show, picking up the tab for production while giving The Disney company rolling profits that could build his park. When Walt pitched a Disney television program to networks, they all turned him down. Except abc. That network was new and it needed a hit show. ABC chairman Leonard Goldinson was desperate to land Disney. Sensing that, Walt added a stipulation to the deal. He also wanted the network to invest in his park. After a back and forth negotiation, a deal was struck. ABC would get its Disney program and Walt got the investment to start building Disneyland. The cost to build the park would eventually triple. The Disney TV show premiered on October 27, 1954, and soon turned into a fountain of cash. Each program featured host Walt Disney talking about Disneyland, followed by new and older content from the vast Disney library. The program, which would eventually be called the Wonderful World of Disney, was an immediate hit. It would account for nearly half of ABC's advertising revenues. But here's the thing. While the Wonderful World of Disney was making television history, its true goal was quietly humming in the background. It was really a big commercial for Disneyland. And the profits funded the construction of what would become Walt Disney's crowning achievement. I'm going to ask you to cast your mind back in again, back to the 70s, this time to another television show. Love Boat was a huge hit back in 1977 and would run until 1988. The show was based on a cruise ship called the Island Princess. The crew was the show's regulars and a revolving door of celebrities guested each week in funny and romantic storylines. The TV show was based on a 1974 book titled the Love Boats by Geraldine Saunders, the first female cruise director for Princess Cruises. Being in charge of shipboard activities gave her a close up view of the passengers. She realized something happened to people when they boarded the ship. They let their protective walls down. She would often write home to her family saying, you won't believe what happened today. Her mother saved those letters, sent them to a book agent, and the next thing Saunders knew, she was the author of a tell all book that revealed her encounters with colorful passengers, fellow crew members and exotic locales. A Hollywood executive optioned the book and made three made for TV movies, which then attracted the attention of producer Aaron Spelling, who turned the idea into one of the highest rated primetime TV shows in the country. But like the Wonderful world of Disney, the Love Boat was more than entertainment. It was a big weekly commercial for Princess Cruise Lines. The TV show is widely credited with introducing audiences to the concept of cruise vacations. The TV captain of the Love Boat was actor Gavin McLeod. For an astonishing 35 years after the Love Boat's final episode. McCloud was the spokesperson for Princess Cruise Lines, making him one of the longest serving celebrity spokespersons in TV history. Somewhere special memories are waiting for you. Somewhere, somewhere Only on Princess because it's more than a cruise, it's the Love Boat. The impact of the Love Boat TV show on the cruise industry cannot be overstated. During the 10 year run, especially in the 80s, over 50 million people tuned in. In 1970, an estimated 500,000 people went on cruise vacations. By the 90s, it was over 5 million. Over the years, Princess Cruise Lines organized several cast reunions on their ships where passengers wait for hours to get their picture taken with the TV actors. Thanks in large part to the Love Boat, the cruise business is now a $7 billion industry and is expected to double by 2028. While the power of television launched the cruise ship industry, it also convinced people to stand in line outside a pawn shop.

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[Terry O'Reilly]

Say hello to Mia.

[Verizon]

Hey there.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Mia runs a pet grooming service in Chicago. But getting new clients was rough until.

[Verizon]

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[Terry O'Reilly]

Mia's business is looking sharp. What's your secret for happy pets and happy clients?

[Verizon]

A fresh cut, a friendly vibe and a well placed podcast ad.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Get the word out about your business through Acast. Visit go.acast.com advertise to get started. Back around 2005, a pawn shop owner in Las Vegas wondered if his business might make an interesting reality TV show. It had a continuous flow of colorful Characters looking to sell and pawn interesting items for fast cash. And the pawn shop. Owner Rick Harrison was a history buff who had a vast knowledge of how, when and where those items were made and what they were valued at. Plus there was the tension of negotiation. Harrison and his staff negotiated the price on every purchase the store made and customers had to make a decision on the spot. So Harrison knocked on television doors for five years, but was rejected by every single network. The idea of a pawn shop to most people was a seedy joint populated by small time hoods and desperate junkies. An image reinforced by every cop show that aired in the 70s and 80s. But Harrison pitched a very different kind of pawn shop. He said pawning was the oldest form of banking with its roots in ancient Rome. He said nearly 14 million Americans don't have bank accounts. So pawn shops offer a vital service by giving credit to people who don't have credit histories. And if they forfeit on the loan, the pawn shop keeps the collateral and nobody gets sued. Harrison's company, called the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop was clean and well run. It was a family business first started by his father in 1989, now managed by Harrison and co managed by his son. Then one day, Harrison got a knock on the door. Some executives from a TV production company were in Vegas for a bachelor party and stumbled upon Harrison's pawn store. They wondered if they could create a show about the pawn store for the History Channel utilizing Harrison's knowledge of the history of everyday products and esoteric items. Harrison said, that's exactly what I've been trying to pitch for five years. The History Channel liked the idea. It was decided cameras would simply watch the transactions unfold. Harrison and his staff would look the items over, give an interesting history lesson on the item, assign a value, then haggle over the price. Plus, there was the added bonus of the dynamic between Rick, his grumpy father, Rick's sarcastic son Corey, and a kooky employee named Chum Lee. The last order of business was what to call the show. The Gold and Silver Pawn Shop just wasn't catchy enough. A week before the new show debuted, it was to be called Pawning History, but nobody was thrilled with the name. Then, just before it went to air, someone at the production company suggested another Pawn Stars, a play on porn stars. Everyone knew that title wouldn't be approved by management, so they took a risk and sent the show out with the new title without corporate approval, employing the age old strategy of better to beg forgiveness than ask for permission. Before management could balk the title caught a lot of media attention. Then it caught viewers. In its first season, Pawn stars attracted nearly 2.2 million viewers per episode. Year two jumped 80% to average over 4 million, making it the History Channel's highest ranking series ever. Some weeks it even tipped 5 million, pushing the show into the top 10. Pawn Stars was such a hit, it transformed the entire History Channel, allowing the network to attract more content, which meant the audiences kept growing and growing, which meant History could charge more for its ads. The History Channel itself vaulted from top 20 to top five. Two interesting side notes. First, Pawn Stars fueled two successful TV spinoffs, American Restoration and another titled Counting Cars. The stars of each of those shows made appearances on Pawn Stars when the shop needed to call in experts, American Restoration when it needed to know what it would cost to restore an item to make it more valuable, and Counting Cars when the Pawn Shop was considering buying a car. Second, all three businesses were based in Vegas that fueled tourism to the city. In a USA Today poll in 2013, the gold and Silver Pawn Shop was voted the best tourist site in Vegas. It beat out the welcome to Las Vegas sign and the Bellagio fountains. Just Google tours of Las Vegas TV show locations to see how much tourism activity there is. And Rick Harrison's Pawn Shop is thriving like it never has before. The show airs in 38 languages in 150 countries. The shop was so popular it had to dedicate a large section of its floor space to Pawn Stars merchandise, which fans gobble up. As Harrison originally said, he figured a show would mean free publicity and free publicity would mean more business. Proving that Pawn Stars is not just entertainment. It's a big weekly commercial for the Gold and Silver Pawn Shop. Back in early 2017, Liberty Media purchased a Formula One group for $4.6 billion. Liberty Media is a corporation with vast holdings including Sirius XM and the Atlanta Braves baseball team. The Formula One group held the exclusive commercial rights to the Formula One World Championship, a nine month long competition where racing teams compete for the driver's championship. It is considered the most prestigious motor racing competition in the world, with events held in 21 countries across five continents each year. But when Liberty Media bought Formula One, the sport was in decline. Fan engagement was waning. Formula One not only needed a big marketing idea to re engage its fan base, it desperately needed to attract new fans to survive. Formula One had a lot of exciting elements that could be leveraged in a marketing campaign. There was the relentless technical innovation of the cars, the elite abilities and personalities of the drivers, the split second magic of the pit crews and the inherent danger on the track. Whenever you're planning a marketing thrust, you have to identify and isolate the main selling feature. At first glance, all fingers pointed to F1 1's record breaking speed. But a deeper frisk of the research revealed something else entirely. It wasn't speed that attracted fans, it was competition. As automotive website Jalopnik points out, the concept of competition is inherently different than speed. Speed is cold and clinical and can be achieved solo. But competition pits drivers and teams against one another. That rivalry brings out the aggression, the passion and the all out desire to win. To even be a Formula One driver, you have to be one of the 20 best drivers in the world. So Formula One launched an advertising campaign titled Engineered Insanity, showing F1 cars racing flat out, car crashes and near crashes, and even drivers fist fighting on the sidelines. The goal was to drum up the excitement of F1 racing and to alert various cities when a race was scheduled by employing a social media and email push. But the problem was that you had to already be an F1 fan to even see the social media or receive the emails. To ensure Formula one had a future, the sport needed to attract new fans. The managing director of F1's commercial operations wondered if a television series could be developed that showed the backstage drama of Formula One racing. But above all, the series had to show F1 in a completely different light and introduce it to a completely different fan. So in 2017, a TV production crew started following the Formula One teams, the owners and the drivers. It wasn't Easy gaining access. F1 teams are notoriously secretive about their operations. The top two teams, Ferrari and Mercedes, refused to even participate. But the producers arranged a meeting with Gunther Steiner, who managed the Haas F1 team. Within two minutes, the production company knew they had a show on their hands. Steiner was funny, shockingly honest and ruthlessly competitive. In other words, he was a character. So were the drivers, who respected some rivals and hated others. The producers then sold the idea to Netflix. The streaming company offered F1 two important things. First, it guaranteed international distribution. And most importantly, it would populate the show into the algorithms of people who don't watch F1 but were interested in sports, reality TV and documentaries. The production team then filmed the first season in 2018. They titled it Drive to Survive. These guys have an almost fighter pilot mentality and that's what separates them from mere mortals. The trailer for season one showed the pressure, the elite skill and the knife edge drama of F1 up close. Then the pandemic hit. Covid put the F1 circuit on hold. But a curious thing happened. The world was also on hold, in lockdown. People suddenly had a lot of time on their hands and they started to watch Drive to Survive. We're in this sport to win and nobody's giving up. Teams were racing not just for glory, but for hundreds of millions of dollars. The success of season one convinced Ferrari and Mercedes to jump on board in season two, and almost immediately, Formula One saw a 209% increase in revenues. The storylines season to season were thrilling. Seeing the races from inside the cockpits, witnessing the fierce competitive spirit of the elite drivers, and their split second decisions as they pushed their machines to over 360 km per hour, was enthralling. Fans suddenly were spending more time engaging with F1, devouring F1 content and buying F1 merchandise. Formula One not only met its lofty goals, but surpassed them, then proceeded to double them. Drive to Survive achieved Netflix top 10 status in 56 countries. It ranked number one worldwide after season three, which means it actually gained more viewers than its first season, which is unheard of. The growth was explosive, especially in North America where F1 was widely considered a European sport event. Viewership here was up 58% last year. Sponsors fought for the chance to be involved. Formula One ticket purchases used to be 75% male. After Drive to Survive, it's now 6040 with female attendance at an all time high. Like the wonderful world of Disney, Pawn stars and the Love Boat, Drive to Survive isn't just entertainment, it's super fueled marketing.

[Verizon]

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[Terry O'Reilly]

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[Penn Holderness]

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That is a brand spanking new iPhone 16e for the incredible price of 49.99 plus you're getting all the latest Apple Intelligence features like Cleanup, which removes distraction from photos with just a tap.

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Visit your nearest Boost mobile store for full offer details. Apple Intelligence requires iOS 18.1 or later. Restrictions apply.

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BetterHelp Online Therapy bought this 30 second ad to remind you right now, wherever you are, to unclench your jaw, relax your shoulders, take a deep breath in and out. Feels better, right? That's 15 seconds of self care. Imagine what you could do with more. Visit betterhelp.com randompodcast for 10% off your first month of therapy. No pressure, just help. But for now, just relax.

[Terry O'Reilly]

I was in Las Vegas pre Pandemic and decided to take a stroll to the Gold and Silver Pawn shop. There was a long velvet rope outside the doors. It was there to keep order as people line up all the way down the street to get in to a pawn store. The wonderful world of Disney turned into a wonderful world of profits as Disney Parks generated a whopping $28 billion in 2022. The Love Boat TV show has been called the greatest product placement ever and I dare you to watch Drive to Survive and not binge the entire series. As one journalist put it, these TV shows are a trap door directly into fandom. With more and more people skipping commercials and with young viewers turning to ad free streaming services, brands are jumping out of the commercial breaks and into the storylines where they're creating super fueled entertainment that viewers eagerly consume like Popeye and Spinach. 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 sound engineer Jeff Devine under the Influence theme by Ari Posner and Ian Music in this episode provided by APM Music. Follow me on social errioinfluence this is season 12 of under the Influence. If you enjoyed this episode, you might also like Same Bat Time Same bat Channel Marketing TV shows Season 9, Episode 1. You'll find it in our podcast archives. Find out more about the Apostrophe Podcast Network at ApostrophePodcast. Subscribe to the new Apostrophe YouTube channel and you can now listen to our podcasts. Ad free on Amazon Music. See you next week. Fun Fact the success of the Love Boat TV show led to a boom in ship construction. More than 100 giant cruise ships were built in the 90s alone. That's a big shipment of Love.

[Verizon]

Popsicles, sprinklers, a cool breeze. Talk about refreshing. You know what else is refreshing this summer? A brand new phone with Verizon. Yep, get a new phone on any plan with select phone. Trade in in my plan and lock down a low price for three years on any plan with my plan. This is a deal for everyone whether you're a new, new or existing customer. Swing by Verizon today for our best phone deals. 3 year price guarantee applies to then current based monthly rate only. Additional terms and conditions apply for all offers.

[Terry O'Reilly]

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