Podcast Summary: "Under the Influence with Terry O'Reilly"

Episode: Newsjacking

Date: January 10, 2026
Host: Terry O’Reilly
Podcast Network: Apostrophe Podcast Network

Episode Overview

In this insightful and wry episode, Terry O’Reilly delves into "newsjacking"—the marketing tactic of hijacking breaking news stories to amplify brand attention, often with humor or a clever twist. O’Reilly navigates through a range of examples—both expertly executed and cringe-inducing failures—illustrating why newsjacking is equal parts opportunity and risk for advertisers. Listeners get a backstage pass on how timing, wit, and social awareness intertwine in the world of pop culture marketing.

What is Newsjacking?

[07:45]

• Definition: Newsjacking is when a brand quickly and creatively attaches itself to a breaking news story, generating a “second story” and attention for itself with minimal effort and often no direct media spend.
• Potential: When well-executed, newsjacking can massively expand brand reach. If misjudged, it can result in embarrassment or backlash.
• Key Traits Needed: Creativity, relevance, rapid response, and a nimble team.

Quote:

"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 [09:45]

Key Case Studies & Notable Moments

1. The Mark Jackson Basketball Card & The Menendez Brothers

[05:23 – 10:44]

• Netflix’s "Monsters: The Lyle and Eric Menendez Story" (2024) revived public interest in the Menendez brothers.
• The story brought attention to Mark Jackson’s 1990 NBA trading card, which controversially shows the Menendez brothers courtside, pre-arrest.
• The card's value skyrocketed from $0.25 to $50 and, in high grades, up to $1,500.
• Collectors had 7,000 copies graded—more than every card in the 1990s set except Michael Jordan’s.
• Marketing Insight: The accidental photo placement turned into marketing gold, illustrating the unpredictable power of timely news relevance.

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 in the world of marketing."
– Terry O’Reilly [10:30]

2. Booker Furniture Ladders & The Louvre Heist

[10:55 – 13:43]

• An international news story broke about a daring theft of the Crown Jewels from the Louvre, using a motorized furniture ladder as the escape tool.
• Booker, the German ladder company, realized the tool left behind was theirs.
• The next day, Booker posted a cheeky ad featuring the ladder at the Louvre:
  "The next time you need things to move quickly"—highlighting its ladder’s specs and speed.
• Impact: The ad’s reach soared from Booker's usual 15,000 people to 1.7 million. Overwhelmingly positive responses (99%).

Quote:

"It was a crown jewel example of newsjacking."
– Terry O’Reilly [13:30]

3. British Geographical Survey: Taylor Swift’s Seismic Swifties

[13:44 – 15:49]

• The BGS, typically under the radar, jumped on Taylor Swift’s sell-out Edinburgh concerts.
• Measured fans' dancing and cheering as actual seismic activity ("Swift-quakes"), using precise setlist timings to cross-reference seismic spikes.
• The moment of largest ground movement? Not a song, but the four-minute applause after "Champagne Problems."
• Result: Massive international media attention and shared widely, raising the BGS’s public profile.

Quote:

"Taylor Swift’s fans made the earth move."
– Terry O’Reilly [14:44]

"The largest movement of the earth wasn’t actually during a song. It occurred during the four minutes of applause after 'Champagne Problems'.”
– Terry O’Reilly [15:37]

4. Norwegian Airlines: "Brad is single"

[15:50 – 18:55]

• When news hit of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s split, Norwegian Airlines ran newspaper ads:
  "Brad is single // Oslo to Los Angeles one way £169."
• The ad cleverly leveraged the international buzz, aligned with the airline’s cheeky, challenger brand tone.
• Generated both business results and global media coverage.

Quote:

"Brad is single. Oslo to Los Angeles one way £169."
– Norwegian Airlines ad, described by Terry O’Reilly [18:05]

5. Uber: “Thanks for Not Riding” (COVID-19 Pandemic)

[21:27]

• During global lockdowns, Uber’s heartfelt viral video turned their business on its head:
  "Thanks for not riding with Uber.”
• Encouraged people to stay home, putting public health above company profits for messaging.

Quote:

"It was a jarring message coming from a company that moves people, asking people not to move."
– Terry O’Reilly [21:39]

6. DiGiorno Pizza: The Pitfalls of Newsjacking

[22:14]

• During the sensitive #WhyIStayed domestic violence awareness movement, DiGiorno tried to jump on the hashtag with:
  "You had pizza.”
• Immediate backlash for the brand’s insensitivity; they quickly apologized and admitted to not researching the hashtag’s context.
• Lesson: Quick research is essential, and not every trending topic is fair game.

Quote:

“With newsjacking, it has to happen quickly, but it still requires quick homework first.”
– Terry O’Reilly [22:50]

7. Burger King Sweden: The “Not Big Macs” Menu

[23:03 – 25:51]

• After McDonald's lost its Big Mac trademark in Europe, Burger King Sweden newsjacked the story.
• Limited-time menu items poked fun at McDonald’s:
  “Kind of like a Big Mac, but juicier and tastier”
  “The burger Big Mac wished it was”
• Video showed customers ordering these new burgers; led to best January sales week ever for Burger King Sweden.

Quote:

“Newsjacking not only resulted in millions of media impressions, it was the best January sales week ever for Burger King in Sweden.”
– Terry O’Reilly [25:51]

8. McDonald’s India: "If you don't vote, you lose your right to choose"

[29:53 – 32:24]

• During elections, staff only served what they chose for customers who hadn’t voted.
• Message on trays:
  “When you give up your vote, you give up your right to choose.”
• Viral video and social media campaign, possibly contributed to highest-ever Indian voter turnout (67%).

9. Specsavers: Oscars Envelope Mix-Up

[32:24 – 35:19]

• After the infamous Oscars best picture envelope error, Specsavers’ digital billboards appeared the next morning:
  "Not getting the best picture — should have gone to Specsavers"
• Hit the cultural moment perfectly, cementing their reputation for wit.

Quote:

“Not getting the best picture — should have gone to Specsavers.”
– Specsavers Billboard, described by Terry O’Reilly [34:26]

Insights & Takeaways

• Newsjacking can be a marketing goldmine if the brand moves fast and hits the right tone.
• Relevance, quick thinking, and humor are essential—and sometimes just plain luck or serendipity.
• Risks are high. When brands misjudge context, it can result in PR disasters (e.g. DiGiorno).
• Newsjacking is almost always a double-edged sword:

  “Sometimes you catch lightning in a bottle, sometimes it goes horribly sideways, and sometimes it gets weird. Just ask Mark Jackson.”
  – Terry O’Reilly [36:47]

Notable Quotes

• "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 [09:40]
• "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." – Terry O’Reilly [35:37]
• "The upside…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." – Terry O’Reilly [36:00]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [05:23] Mark Jackson Trading Card & The Menendez Brothers
• [10:55] Booker Ladders & The Louvre Heist
• [13:44] BGS & Taylor Swift Concert Swift-quake
• [15:50] Norwegian Airlines: "Brad is single"
• [21:27] Uber’s “Thanks for Not Riding”
• [22:14] DiGiorno Pizza’s #WhyIStayed Fail
• [23:03] Burger King’s “Not Big Macs”
• [29:53] McDonald's India Election Newsjacking
• [32:24] Specsavers’ Oscars Envelope Ad
• [35:37] Summary and reflection on the risks and rewards of newsjacking

Conclusion

Terry O’Reilly leaves listeners with a sharp understanding of both the potential payoff and pitfalls of newsjacking. Brands that stay clever, relevant, and sensitive to context can ride the wave of public attention—but they must always be ready to take both the applause and the backlash.

For more Terry O’Reilly:
Follow @TerryOinfluence

(End of summary — structured for easy navigation, quote attribution, and key topic recall for those who haven't listened.)