Podcast Summary: Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly

Episode: Happy World Radio Day. Revisiting "Air Quotes: Creative Radio"
Date: February 13, 2026
Host: Terry O'Reilly
Network: Apostrophe Podcast Network

Overview

In celebration of World Radio Day, Terry O’Reilly revisits the creative potential of radio advertising, exploring how imagination, sound, and human voice come together to make memorable radio campaigns. O’Reilly shares behind-the-scenes stories, analyses acclaimed ads from around the world, and highlights the power of radio to evoke emotion, laughter, and even social change—all through the creative use of audio.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Legendary Power of Radio

• Lucille Ball’s “Radio Tooth” Story [06:07-08:42]
  • O’Reilly opens with Lucille Ball’s 1942 anecdote about her dental fillings picking up radio transmissions, demonstrating radio’s “awesome power” to surprise and intrigue.
  • Quote:

    “The music was coming from inside her mouth… I could hear the tune and everything. I recognized the tune and then it started to fade out.” – Lucille Ball, via Terry O’Reilly (07:18)

• Radio as a Medium: Unlimited by Budget or Visuals
  • Radio’s “biggest creative canvas,” relying solely on words and sounds, exposes writers but facilitates immense imaginative freedom.
  • Quote:

    “Once you got the casting right, the rest was pretty easy.” – Terry O’Reilly (09:45)

2. Creative, Memorable Radio Ads

• The Art of Casting and Writing [09:46-12:00]

  • Writers often fear radio because it leaves them exposed—no visuals, just pure writing and performance.
  • “You can’t rely on fancy camera shots, good looking actors, or exotic locations. It’s just you and your idea starkly front and center.” – Terry O’Reilly (10:47)

• Brevity & Humor

  • Jean Lacasse Antiques (5-second ad):
    “Nothing new, just old stuff.” – Effective, minimal humor. (11:20)
  • Nuderm Laser Hair Removal (Canada):
    • Witty Q&A format for medical aesthetics; self-aware, body-positive humor.
    • “My armpits are so hairy, it looks like I have Howard Stern in a headlock.” (12:45)

• Character-Driven Comedy

  • Chevron “Resume” Ad
    • Two actors with exaggerated accomplishments joke about loyalty card programs.
    • “So you want to be a receptionist?” / “Yes, I do.” – (14:30)

• Inventive Storytelling

  • Vauxhall Cars “Backwards Fairy Tale” (Spain):
    • Jack and the Beanstalk told in reverse to promote a reverse camera.
    • “Things can end badly backwards.” (16:16)

• Musical Campaigns

  • Ragu Spaghetti Sauce:

    • Songs about children’s woes; both funny and musically catchy.
    • Lyrics: “She needs Ragu, cause growing up's tough. Give her Ragu. She's been through enough.” (18:42)

  • Burger King “Confusing Times” (Spain) [20:24-22:01]

    • Launched the Impossible Whopper by embracing confusion in modern life.
      • “Terrence knows that shaking hands is not okay, but bumping elbows is… Now he’s confused.”
      • “It’s all so confusing. Which makes it the perfect time for the Burger King Impossible Whopper. A Whopper made without beef that tastes just like a Whopper. I mean, what?” (21:12)
    • The ads stand out for their leisurely pacing, unique casting, and relatably offbeat tone.

3. Sound Design & Emotional Resonance

• Greenpeace “Plastic Ocean” Campaign [25:19-27:03]

  • All ocean sounds created from plastic waste to blur the line between nature and pollution.
  • “The sounds you just heard were not made by the ocean, but by plastic waste… because it's getting harder and harder to tell them apart.” (25:54)
  • The campaign generated $100,000 in press value and raised donations by 190%.

• Road Safety in Belgium: “Behind the Numbers” [27:45-30:18]

  • Real-time ads about road fatalities, voiced by bereaved parents, aired minutes after each reported accident.
  • “Every time an accident was reported… a new radio commercial was instantly aired… read by a parent who had lost a child.”
  • “66 Are 66 too many? A message from parents of road victims like me…” (29:38)
  • The campaign personalized statistics and led to a measurable decrease in accidents.

• Community Empowerment via Music: Regent Park School of Music, Toronto [31:00-33:38]

  • Facing budget cuts, a music school created a royalty-earning track library, sampled by major artists (e.g., Taylor Swift’s “It’s Nice to Have a Friend”).
  • “Every new stream, license and download equals a new royalty for the school, meaning the kids who benefit… are playing a direct role in sustaining it.” (32:26)
  • “When the kids hear themselves on a Taylor Swift album, it empowers them and they take that feeling out to the community.” (33:21)

4. The Neuroscience & Evolution of Audio

• Why Radio Resonates So Deeply [35:02-35:44]
  • According to neuroscience, spoken language comprehension is deeply rooted in human evolution, predating writing by millennia.
  • “The power of audio may just be rooted in that evolution, that listening to speech and cadence and rhythm and intonation is more evocative, natural, and ultimately emotional to us.” (35:29)
  • “It’s no accident that the words ‘silent’ and ‘listen’ are spelled with the same letters.” (35:44)

Memorable Quotes

• On Radio’s Uniqueness:
  • “When radio is used creatively, it makes your ears happy. Instead of making your teeth hurt.” – Terry O’Reilly (08:54)
• On Imagination:
  • “With some good writing, a surprising idea and a bag of sound effects, you can take a listener on a colorful journey.” – Terry O’Reilly (34:40)
• On Emotional Power:
  • “The most powerful element of radio is the emotion inherent in the human voice, as Belgium demonstrated recently.” – Terry O'Reilly (27:44)

Notable Campaigns & Timestamps

| Campaign / Ad | Country | Core Idea | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------- |---------------|---------------------------------------------------|--------------| | Lucille Ball Radio Tooth Story | USA | Radio’s mysterious power | 06:07-08:42 | | Jean Lacasse Antiques | Canada | Understated 5-second wit | 11:20 | | Nuderm Laser Hair Removal | Canada | Self-aware humor in healthcare | 12:36-13:50 | | Chevron “Resume” | Canada | Status anxiety & reward loyalty humor | 14:15-15:04 | | Vauxhall “Backwards Fairy Tale” | Spain | Creative storytelling for a reverse camera | 16:04-16:58 | | Ragu “Growing Up’s Tough” | USA | Music and humor about childhood challenges | 18:34-19:41 | | Burger King “Confusing Times” | Spain | Modern confusion as ad theme | 20:24-22:01 | | Greenpeace “Plastic Ocean” | International | Sound effects made entirely from plastics | 25:19-27:03 | | Belgium “Behind the Numbers” | Belgium | Real-time tragedy awareness ads | 27:45-30:18 | | Regent Park School of Music “Parkscapes” | Canada | Royalty-earning music for school funding | 31:00-33:38 |

Conclusion

Terry O’Reilly’s look back at radio advertising demonstrates the medium’s power for creativity, emotional storytelling, and social impact. By harnessing the unique strengths of sound and voice, radio transcends budget and visuals, making anything possible for those “under the influence” of a great idea.

Quote to Remember:

“It’s no accident that the words ‘silent’ and ‘listen’ are spelled with the same letters, because there’s a lot to be gained by occasionally being silent and just listening when you’re under the influence.” – Terry O’Reilly (35:44)