Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly

Episode: The Phrase That Pays: Marketing Contests
Date: November 8, 2025
Host: Terry O’Reilly (Apostrophe Podcast Network)

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the fascinating world of marketing contests, exploring their power to generate publicity, goodwill, and creative engagement—but also their tendency to spiral into the unexpected (and occasionally, the embarrassing). Through a series of vivid, often humorous stories from brands like Goldfish Crackers, BMW, and Walmart, and unforgettable mishaps from radio stations and government naming competitions, Terry O’Reilly uncovers the key dynamics that make contests both an alluring and risky strategy in advertising.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dolly Parton's Lookalike Contest—Setting the Tone

• Terry begins with an anecdote about Dolly Parton entering a Dolly Parton lookalike contest—only to lose to a man and receive the least applause.
• Purpose: Illustrates the unpredictability and inherent risk of contests, even when the “real deal” is hiding in plain sight.
• Quote: "When it came to Dolly's turn, she smiled and sashayed across the stage and lost to a man. Not only that, Dolly Parton got the least applause." (05:44)

2. The Strategy Behind Marketing Contests

• All contests have a strategic objective—quick attention, goodwill, targeted engagement, or ratings boosts. But they don’t always go as planned: “You just have to hope the contest doesn't go sideways.” (07:00)

3. Case Studies in Marketing Contests

a. Goldfish Crackers—The Handful Challenge

Timestamp: 07:50 – 14:20

• Situation: Goldfish sales dropped during the pandemic as school snack demand dried up.
• Insight: Research revealed 40% of Goldfish Crackers are eaten by adults, who eat them by the handful.
• Contest: “Go for the Handful Challenge”—who can hold the most Goldfish in one hand, promoted with NBA star Boban Marjanovic (whose giant hands could hold 301 crackers).
• Engagement: TikTok-centric, 9 billion video views, 1.8 million entries.
• Results: Went viral strictly among adults (the key target), leading to a 14% sales increase.
• Quote: “When it was all said and done, the Cracker had attracted a new adult audience and enjoyed a 14% sales increase. In the middle of the pandemic, that’s not bad.” (13:33)

b. BMW New Zealand—The April Fool’s Dare

Timestamp: 14:25 – 17:50

• Contest: “First to show up with the paper ad and their current car wins a new BMW—on April Fool’s Day.”
• Outcome: Only one person, Tiana Marsh, took the ad seriously, winning a $50,000 BMW.
• Result: Worldwide press and goodwill for BMW; Marsh's new plates: “NO FOOL.”
• Quote: “BMW had dared people to risk looking like a fool... And no one took them up on the challenge except for one person.” (16:40)

c. Radio Ratings and Gold 905’s “Celebrity Name Drop”

Timestamp: 18:00 – 22:45

• Structure: Identify 14 celebrities, each saying a word from the station’s slogan.
• Controversy: Listener Mohammed Shallahan got all names right but lost due to a technicality (apparent mispronunciation of “Tony Hadley”). When Hadley himself confirmed the pronunciation was correct, the station relented and awarded both top scorers the full prize.
• Insight: Poor contest handling can lead to backlash and unexpected costs.
• Quote (Tony Hadley): “As far as I'm concerned, you said my name correctly, so you should be entitled to whatever the prize was.” (21:02)

d. BC Ferries—Name the Ship Contest

Timestamp: 23:00 – 26:45

• Goal: Name three new $165M ferries, but retain final naming right.
• Public Response: Over 21,000 joke or protest names amid service discontent.
• Examples: “Spirit of the Wallet,” “Sucker Queen of No Other Choice,” “HMS Can’t Afford.”
• Outcome: Management ignored the vote, choosing safe names (“Salish Orca,” etc.).
• Quote: “Sometimes you don’t count the votes, you weigh them.” (26:39)

e. Walmart & Sheetz Energy Strips—The Pitbull Prank

Timestamp: 27:00 – 31:00

• Contest: The Walmart with the most Facebook likes wins a Pitbull concert.
• Twist: Internet pranksters sent Pitbull to Kodiak, Alaska—one of the most remote stores.
• Pitbull honored the contest, flew to Alaska, and even brought the prankster along.
• Result: Massive media, goodwill, and respect for Pitbull.
• Quote: “Pitbull not only packed his bags for the trip, he packed the prankster too." (29:49)

f. Public Building Naming Gone Awry—Fort Wayne’s Harry Baals Center

Timestamp: 31:05 – 34:13

• Situation: Naming a civic center; overwhelming votes for “Harry Baals” (a beloved ex-mayor).
• Outcome: City council overruled, choosing “Citizen Square”—5 council votes versus 24,000 public ones.
• Insight: Companies (and governments) rarely surrender meaningful control, even with “democratic” contests.
• Quote: “As Fort Wayne discovered, it can be a very bumpy ride from Harry Baals to Citizen Square.” (33:55)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On contest unpredictability:
  “While they’re meant to be fun, contests can turn into a contest of wills between organizers and the public.” (34:20)
• On managing public input:
  “When the public is invited to vote on a decision, companies have to give over a certain amount of control. Maybe not over the final results, but definitely over the journey to get there.” (34:35)
• On viral success:
  “In the first few weeks alone, the TikTok video got 9 billion, not million, 9 billion views.” (11:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dolly Parton story / Opening theme: 03:17 – 06:25
• Philosophy & risks of contests: 07:00 – 07:49
• Goldfish Crackers—Handful Challenge: 07:50 – 14:20
• BMW April Fool’s contest: 14:25 – 17:50
• Radio contest gone wrong: 18:00 – 22:45
• BC Ferries naming contest: 23:00 – 26:45
• Walmart & Pitbull in Alaska: 27:00 – 31:00
• Harry Baals/Civic center naming fiasco: 31:05 – 34:13
• Closing insights: 34:14 – 35:16

Episode Takeaways

• Contests are double-edged swords: While fantastic for engagement, publicity, and fun, they can backfire—whether through unexpected results, public backlash, or loss of brand control.
• Successful contests require strategic clarity and humility: Know what you can control, and prepare for the public to seize the narrative.
• The best marketers maintain humor and flexibility: Brands and personalities who “roll with it”—like Pitbull and BMW—earn respect and viral goodwill.
• Public involvement comes with risk: When inviting public votes, be transparent about how much control really lies with the audience.

Terry O’Reilly leaves listeners with a thoughtful (and mischievous) warning: when you open up to contesting the public’s imagination, you might just get more—and less—than you bargained for.
“It can be a very bumpy ride from Harry Baals to Citizen Square when you’re under the influence.” (34:14)