Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly

Episode Summary: "Rage Marketing: Monetizing The Fury"

Release Date: January 31, 2026
Host: Terry O’Reilly
Podcast Network: Apostrophe Podcast Network

Overview

This episode dives into the rising phenomenon of “rage marketing”—advertising designed to deliberately provoke, enrage, or create controversy for attention, engagement, and ultimately, profit or awareness. Terry O’Reilly meticulously explores how modern marketing teams exploit outrage, both intentionally and unintentionally, to drive sales and create viral campaigns. Through case studies ranging from American Eagle’s controversial jeans campaign, to Swatch’s misstep in Asia, to a cervical cancer awareness hoax–turned scandal in India, and even a cross-state pizza rivalry, O’Reilly dissects the ethics, risks, and rewards of monetizing public fury.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Cultural Backdrop: Rage Bait as Word of the Year

• [03:22] O’Reilly highlights the Oxford University Press’s 2025 “Word of the Year”: Rage Bait.
  • Defined as “online content deliberately designed to elicit anger or outrage by being frustrating, provocative, or offensive.”
  • Usage of the term tripled in the past year.
  • “Even if people never heard the term rage bait before, they instantly know what it means, and they want to talk about it, even if it makes them angry.” (Terry O’Reilly, 06:00)
• Marketing mirrors the zeitgeist, so it's no surprise that rage marketing is currently a hot tactic.

2. Case Study: American Eagle & Sydney Sweeney – Double Entendre Outrage

• [07:45] American Eagle's billboard campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney with the line "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans/genes" sparked public outcry.
  • Pun intended between “jeans” (clothing) and “genes” (hereditary), with critics interpreting it as a nod to eugenics and beauty standards.
  • Outrage spread rapidly across social media and news outlets.
• The campaign drew in high-profile commentary, including from President Trump—who endorsed the ad as “the hottest ad out there.”
  • White House reps called the backlash a "prime example of cancel culture run amok.”
• American Eagle’s Response:
  • Intended as playful; their official line: “Her jeans, her story. We’ll continue to celebrate how everyone wears their American Eagle jeans with confidence, their way.”
  • CEO said the goal was to “convert the buzz into business.”
• Results:
  • Sales shot up 10%; stock jumped 38% during the controversy.
  • All Sydney Sweeney–branded jeans sold out in a week, and additional charity donations were made.
• Insightful Moment:
  • “In order for a pun to work, a person must first process both the obvious expected meaning of a word along with the secondary surprising interpretation.” (Terry O’Reilly, 08:22)
  • “Did American Eagle know it was creating rage marketing? The answer is yes.” (Terry O’Reilly, 12:09)
  • Executives invited Sweeney to help decide how provocative to be; she replied, "Let's push it. I'm game.” (Terry O’Reilly, 13:08)

3. Case Study: Swatch – Accidental Insult in Asian Markets

• [14:25] Swatch released an ad where an Asian model pulled his eyes back in a gesture widely seen as racist.
• Backlash exploded on Asian social media; widespread calls for boycotts.
• Swatch apologized, blaming a young marketing team for the oversight, emphasizing there was no intention to offend.
• Despite the apology, public sentiment did not improve, and Swatch stocks fell 4% that Monday.
• Unanswered Question:
  • Why target the Asian market with a potentially offensive ad, when the region represented over a quarter of sales and was already experiencing slumps?
• Quote:
  • “All advertising, especially ads that are being used on a worldwide basis, go through many approval levels. It remains a mystery.” (Terry O’Reilly, 17:20)
• Swatch’s broader business troubles (stock removal from Swiss indexes, declining revenues) amplify the mystery around this marketing error.

4. Case Study: Poonam Pandey’s Death Hoax – Ethics vs. Awareness

• [20:02] Indian actress Poonam Pandey’s Instagram “death” was a staged hoax to raise awareness for cervical cancer.
• Immediate public shock gave way to outrage, accusing the agency (Shebang) of insensitivity and manipulation.
• The agency’s first apology emphasized the awareness results (cervical cancer became one of India’s most searched terms, with over 1,000 headlines), but lost clients amidst criticism.
• Second apology eventually acknowledged the misstep:
  • “We made a mistake not once but twice... We know the end doesn't justify the means. If there's one thing we know, it's this. Something like this will never happen again.” (Shebang Agency, 23:35)
• Poonam Pandey doubled down: “Kill me, crucify me, hate me, but save someone you love.” (Poonam Pandey via Instagram, 23:48)
• A $12 million lawsuit was filed against Pandey for fabricating her death.
• Ethical dilemma posed: “Is it acceptable for effectiveness to trump ethics?” (Terry O’Reilly, 24:39)

5. Case Study: Connecticut’s Pizza War – Harmless Rage Marketing for Local Boost

• [26:42] Connecticut Tourism launched a bold campaign in Times Square:
  • Billboard: “Connecticut has the nation’s best pizza. Not you, New York.”
  • Highway signs at state borders, more billboards: “There’s no shame in second place.”
• New Yorkers responded with public outcry, profanity-laced hotline messages, jokes, and even Stephen Colbert’s mockery.
  • “This is a little thirsty. You have zero cuisine of your own. So you... are trying to steal pizza as your official food. Stay in your lane.” (Stephen Colbert, 28:44 recounted by O’Reilly)
• The campaign was openly designed to stoke rivalry (“We know what we’re doing. This isn’t about being subtle.”)
• Results:
  • NYC–New Haven day trips up 22%, overnight stays up 12%.
  • Pizza content hits on the state’s tourism site up 50%.
  • $220k spent generated $13M in media exposure.
• O’Reilly’s observation:
  • “The campaign didn’t just go viral, it went visceral. And that rage sparked a very effective food fight.” (Terry O’Reilly, 29:25)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Rage Marketing’s Logic:
  • “Traditional brand building no longer guarantees awareness... companies approve riskier ads. When a brand dares to touch the third rail in court controversy, it hopes the white hot glare of the spotlight will lead to millions of dollars of free press.” (Terry O’Reilly, 30:10)
• On the Risks:
  • “Is visibility a metric of success? Sudden awareness generated by offensive content does not guarantee sales, and it can extend a long shadow over a brand that it can't shake.” (Terry O’Reilly, 31:20)
  • “We're also living in an era where it's getting harder and harder to shock the public. We're now comfortably numb, so the shock stakes get higher and riskier.” (Terry O’Reilly, 31:38)
• On Connecticut's approach:
  • “Maybe Connecticut has it right. It uses rage marketing in a humorous way, then just monetized the fury.” (Terry O’Reilly, 32:03)

Important Timestamps & Segments

• 03:22 – Word of the year: “Rage Bait”
• 07:45–13:40 – American Eagle’s Sydney Sweeney “great genes/jeans” campaign
• 14:25–17:55 – Swatch’s racist gesture ad in Asia and fallout
• 20:02–24:57 – Poonam Pandey’s staged death and the ethics of outrage
• 26:42–32:03 – Connecticut pizza campaign and the art of harmless “food fight” rage marketing
• 30:10 – Broader insights: effectiveness, visibility, and the rising stakes of outrage
• 32:03–32:45 – Episode wrap-up, summary reflections

Conclusion

Terry O’Reilly draws a clear line from clever provocation to outright manipulation, showing how rage marketing can drive quick results—and sometimes lasting scars on brands and public trust. The episode raises challenging questions about the boundaries between attention, ethics, shock value, and sales. Ultimately, the most effective rage marketing may be that which stokes rivalry or conversation while still maintaining humor and not crossing ethical lines—a lesson, O’Reilly notes, that Connecticut seems to have mastered.

For listeners interested in how outrage, controversy, and viral buzz intersect with advertising strategy (and risk!), this episode is a compelling, thought-provoking listen.