Unhinged Advertising: The Power of the Absurd

Summary

Podcast Summary: Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly

Episode: Unhinged Advertising: The Power of the Absurd
Host: Terry O’Reilly
Date: April 4, 2026

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Main Theme

This episode explores the rising trend of "unhinged," surreal, and absurd advertising—and why embracing weirdness works so powerfully in today’s marketing world. Terry O’Reilly shares memorable examples from brands that opted for offbeat, often bizarre ads, analyzing how and why these campaigns cut through the noise, generate shares, and leave lasting cultural marks.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Appeal of the Absurd: Setting the Stage

• Opening Story:
  Terry introduces Jacob Reno, an artist who found viral success at a Chicago farmer's market by selling deliberately "terrible portraits" for $5, drawn in five minutes. The concept—intentionally bad, whimsical art—proved both approachable and comical, allowing people to connect, relax, and laugh together.

  “His terrible artwork offers people a chance to sit down, connect, and laugh.” (03:22)

• Link to Advertising:
  Absurdity can be both memorable and approachable in marketing, much like Reno’s portraits.

• In a hyper-digital, curated age, imperfection and “unhinged” creativity stand out.

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2. Milestone Absurd Ads: Industry Examples

A. E*TRADE’s Super Bowl Monkey (2000)

• The ad showed a monkey in a t-shirt dancing on a garbage can with two men to “La Cucaracha,” then declared, “We just wasted $2 million. What are you doing with your money?”

  “It was without a doubt the weirdest commercial ever to air in the Super Bowl.” (08:20)

• Purpose:
  A tongue-in-cheek critique of ad spending and dot-com madness, but with a simple, sticky takeaway about smart investing.

• Impact:
  Became the second most popular Super Bowl ad among industry peers and a case study in memorable, “impossibly stupid, impossibly brilliant” advertising.

  “What other ad do you remember 25 years later? My God, the clarity, the arrogance…” (10:30)

B. Skittles: “Taste the Rainbow” Campaign

• Absurdist Skittles Ads:
  • “Skittles Pox:” Boy covered in edible Skittles, contagious to others.
  • “Touch the Rainbow:” Everything a man touches turns to Skittles—including a newborn baby.
• Insight:
  Ads revel in surreal, dark humor—hugely successful with their young, meme-savvy audience.

  “Extremely unusual in the fun filled candy commercial genre… aimed at an audience who like absurd, surreal, dark humor.” (13:31)

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3. Pushing Absurdity Further

A. Mountain Dew’s “PuppyMonkeyBaby” (2016)

• A Super Bowl spot personifying a creature as a blend of three clickbait ad tropes—a puppy, monkey, and baby—danced through the ad, chanting its own name.
• Reception:
  Deliberately disturbing, controversial, and viral (#puppymonkeybaby), yet highly effective.

  “It was disturbing and like a horrible car crash, you couldn’t look away.” (17:35)
  “If you play your card weirdly, unhinged can pay off.” (20:12)

B. Liquid Death’s Extravagant Stunts

• Products & Campaigns:
  • Corpse paint makeup
  • Coffin-shaped ice cooler
  • “Pit Diaper” (collaboration with Depend Diapers): Concert-goers can avoid bathroom lines by wearing an edgy, punk-style diaper
  • The “Eternal Playlist Urn” with Spotify: Bluetooth-enabled urn for deceased music lovers
• Tone:
  Outrageousness as a brand pillar, using humor and shock to both break taboos and spark conversation.

  “It was an opportunity to reach a new audience and show up in an unexpected way to challenge stereotypes.” (22:54)

C. Sargento Cheese: World’s Slowest Pizza Delivery

• A contest where customers could order pizzas delivered 18 months later—the time it takes their cheese to age.
• Effect:
  Embraces and satirizes “slow” as a competitive advantage, turning waiting into an absurd, memorable brand experience.

D. Old Spice: The Bizarre “Mom Song” Commercial

• Concept:
  Mothers lamely bemoan their sons’ coming-of-age after using Old Spice, portrayed as hiding in outlandish places, lamenting lost innocence.
• Execution:
  Blends oddness with musical parody; helps the brand shed its “dad” image for a much younger, internet-humor audience.

  “You can find it on YouTube. Search Old Spice Mom Song. It’s weird. It’s funny, but weird.” (27:01)

E. Casper Mattresses: Ads at 2AM for Insomniacs

• Campaign:
  Airs surreal, silent, slow-motion TV spots at 2 a.m., inviting viewers to call a phone number for weird late-night options (ocean sounds, cocktail wiener history, Urkel lullabies, and even a call with the marketing team).
• Message:
  Reaches directly to sleepless people with a surreal, personal touch, standing out in a boring mattress category.

  “Kind of a wake up call for the mattress category.” (30:37)

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4. Why Weird Wins: Strategic Analysis

• Changing Humor:
  What’s “funny” shifts across generations; many of these campaigns tap into Gen Z and internet meme culture.
• The Social Media Effect:
  Brands now compete not just with each other, but with the endless supply of user-created, short-form humor online.
• The New Arms Race:

  “These unhinged commercials don’t just take a bold stance against the boring, polished ads of the past. They are fighting to carve out a space in a social media ocean crowded with quick, funny videos.” (32:37)

• Memorability and Shareability:
  The oddest ads are remembered, discussed, and shared, becoming pop culture touchstones.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “The commercial was also a comment on the dot com era at the time and the outrageous valuations. A bubble that was about to burst.” (09:50)
• “They are, quote, approachable, disarming, and comical. And in a world that is increasingly digital, his terrible artwork offers people a chance to sit down, connect, and laugh.” – On Jacob Reno’s “terrible portraits” (04:35)
• “Again, perfectly in keeping with the odd advertising of Old Spice. And that advertising put Old Spice back on the map.” (27:54)
• “Today, it’s be weird or die when you’re under the influence.” (33:50)

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Important Timestamps

• 03:22 – Jacob Reno’s “terrible portraits” as a parallel to approachable absurdity in advertising.
• 08:20 – Detailed breakdown of the E*TRADE “Monkey” Super Bowl ad.
• 12:27 – Skittles “pox” and “touch the rainbow”—humor through dark surrealism.
• 16:37 – Mountain Dew’s “PuppyMonkeyBaby” Super Bowl spot discussion.
• 22:54 – Liquid Death’s outrageous “Pit Diaper” and “Eternal Playlist Urn” stunts.
• 25:32 – Old Spice “Mom Song” and the brand's pivot to unhinged humor.
• 29:53 – Casper’s surreal late-night campaigns for insomniacs.
• 32:37 – Analysis: why brands go absurd in the era of social media humor.
• 33:50 – Conclusion: “be weird or die.”

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Episode Tone

Terry O’Reilly’s tone is witty, conversational, and steeped in advertising culture. The episode is peppered with playful asides, a sense of wonder at the power of weirdness, and respect for the creative risk-takers in marketing today.

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Conclusion

Unhinged, absurd advertising may seem nonsensical at first glance, but brands use it to be remembered, spark conversation, and signal that they’re in on the joke. Terry O’Reilly underlines that in an era when brands compete with every meme and viral video online, it takes something truly odd—and often hilarious—to stay top of mind. Be weird, or fade to background noise.

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For more on how advertisers bend reality to break through, follow Under the Influence with Terry O’Reilly wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

[Terry O'Reilly]

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Giggly Squad started on Summerhous when we were giggling during an inappropriate time.

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This is an Apostrophe podcast production. We're going to show you our big new Studebaker. Start the Car. Mamma Mia. Dance a spicy meatball what love doesn't conquer. Alka sells her will. What a relief.

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You're under the influence with Terry O'Reilly.

[Terry O'Reilly]

At a farmer's market in a Chicago neighborhood, a man named Jacob Reno set up a table. He wasn't offering fruit or vegetables. He was offering portraits. Terrible portraits. His sign said terrible portraits. $5 in five terrible minutes. Dressed in a blue painter's smock and a cravat, which is hilarious, Reno sits at a small table with a small array of colored pencils and an egg timer. And every week, people line up to get the most terrible portrait of themselves as hand drawn by Reno in under five minutes. In just three months, Reno had drawn drawn absurd, hilarious portraits for more than 500 people. According to a Washington Post story, Reno first tried his hand at portraiture. At a house party in 2018, Reno and a friend thought it would be entertaining to sketch each other. In the middle of the party, they set a timer. After five minutes, she turned hers around, and it was pretty good. When Reno turned his around, she was visibly upset at what she saw. Then they both broke up into uncontrollable laughter. It was at that moment Reno wondered if he might have a hidden talent as a terrible portraitist. So Reno set up his table at that farmer's market. That first day. He thought if he could draw four weird portraits for $5 each, he'd be happy. To his surprise, a steady stream of people lined up for five terrible minutes to get their terrible portrait done. The reception was overwhelmingly positive. Reno doesn't just sit there and draw. He chats with his subjects and tries to get to know them a bit, to capture their essence, he says. Not long after, Reno's terrible portraits caught the attention of a local news site. Soon he was being hired for weddings, housewarmings, and birthday parties. He got so busy he quit his job at an advertising agency. Reno's terrible portraits look like they were done by a 4 year old with no talent, although he insists he's really trying his best. But people love them and laugh their heads off when they see them. Some laugh for five full minutes. Reno says he understands why his weird, odd, and seemingly unhinged portraits have struck a chord. They are, quote, approachable, disarming, and comical. And in a world that is increasingly digital, his terrible artwork offers people a chance to sit down, connect and laugh. The world of marketing has its own version of unhinged artwork. Many advertisers are opting to create weird commercials, commercials that are so odd and surreal they leave many people scratching their heads. But weird can be Memorable and comical and seemingly unhinged. Commercials can sell a lot of products. You're under the influence. Adweek magazine is a trade publication for the advertising industry. When it did a survey asking ad professionals what their favorite super bowl commercial of all time was, the ad that topped the poll was the famous apple commercial titled 1984. But when Adweek tallied the results of the survey, a very surprising commercial came in at number two. It was for E Trade. It begins with a shot of an open garage in a typical suburban home. Inside the garage is an older man sitting on a lawn chair, a monkey standing on a garbage can, and an odd looking younger man sitting on what looks like a plastic cooler. Then the monkey wearing an E Trade T shirt turns on a boombox. Then, for the next 18 very long and expensive seconds, the three of them, monkey included, just sit there and clap to La Cucaracha. At the 19 second mark, words on the screen said, well, we've just wasted $2 million. What are you doing with your money?

[Podcast Hosts (e.g., Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner or Christy and Kelly)]

It's time for E Trade.

[Terry O'Reilly]

The number one place to invest online. It was without a doubt the weirdest commercial ever to air in the Super Bowl. Back then, in the year 2000, a Super bowl commercial cost $2 million. The writer of that ad, Jerry Graf, said that while they were originally trying to think of a Super bowl idea for E Trade, they were stumped. At first they thought, wouldn't E Trade invest that $2 million instead of buying super bowl ad time? Because that's what E Trade does. It encourages stock investments. Then they thought, if E Trade doesn't invest it and spends it on the super bowl, isn't that wasting $2 million? At that point, he and his art director partner were still stumped. So they decided to clear their heads and go golfing. On the way back from golfing, Graff suddenly said, what if we have a monkey and the monkey is just dancing with an E Trade T shirt on? So they presented that kooky idea to E Trade. At first, the E Trade lawyers were completely against the idea, fearing a backlash if a financial company were to be seen openly squandering $2 million. But the advertising agency pushed hard, saying, yes, the commercial was weird, but it made one clear point, that if you're not investing, you're wasting your money. Which was, in fact, the very message E Trade wanted to convey. The idea was also self referential, as it was a comment on the absurdity of spending $2 million on one single commercial in the Super Bowl. Little did they know that rates would climb to 8 million by 2026. The commercial was also a comment on the dot com era at the time and the outrageous valuations. A bubble that was about to burst. And the ad was subversive. It not only made fun of super bowl ads and dot coms, but it made fun of the advertising industry in general. For all that and more, E Trade finally approved the commercial. Critics called the E Trade monkey commercial impossibly stupid, impossibly brilliant. It has now been cited as a turning point in super bowl humor and pr, as many commercials have tried since to use absurd humor as a way of standing out. And the Monkey ad generated so much PR for E Trade, it is now a case study. A writer for the Drum also called it the best super bowl ad ever. His rationale? He says, and I quote, what other ad do you remember 25 years later? My God, the clarity, the arrogance. Yep, that weird, unhinged monkey ad put E Trade on the map. As that writer said, everyone wants to get their money's worth at the Super Bowl. Turns out, all you have to do is waste it. Just about any Skittles commercial could be included in this episode. The brand truly aspires to weirdvertising. A little background the Taste the Rainbow campaign began in 1994. The slogan, of course, references the multicolored Skittles candies, but it also gave the brand an unlimited creative platform. So Taste the Rainbow becomes flexible and can transform into Romance the rainbow or blend the rainbow or mob the rainbow. In other words, the slogan can morph depending on the idea. Take a Skittles commercial titled Skittles Pox. In this ad, a boy is talking to a girl. His face, neck and arms are covered in Skittles.

[Hannah Berner]

You're acting so funny. What's wrong?

[Terry O'Reilly]

Billy? I should probably tell you this isn't just my complexion. My doctor says I have Skittles pox.

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Skittles pox.

[Terry O'Reilly]

She reaches over, pulls a Skittles off his face and eats it. Then asks, are they contagious? As she asks this, unbeknownst to her, Skittles start appearing on her skin. After a long awkward pause, the boy says, I don't think so. Contract the rainbow. Taste the rainbow. Contract the rainbow. Yet another weird, surreal ad from a long line of weird, surreal ads from Skittles. Like this next award winning commercial where everything a man touches turns to Skittles.

[Hannah Berner]

Hey Tim, show Joel how everything you

[Terry O'Reilly]

touch turns into Skittles. Tim reaches out and touches a stapler and it turns into Skittles. That's awesome. Is it awesome. But you can't hold your newborn baby boy in your arms. Did you feed and dress yourself this morning? I didn't. Then his phone rings and without thinking he grabs the receiver and the entire phone turns into skittles that fall all over the desk. Tim is frustrated and slams his fist down on the desk. The entire desk turns into a mountain of skittles that fall to the floor. Touch the rainbow. Taste the rainbow. Touch the rainbow. It's kind of a sad ad about someone who is doomed to never touch anyone or anything again. Extremely unusual in the fun filled candy commercial genre, but the campaign is aimed at an audience who like absurd, surreal, dark humor. They must, as the Skittles campaign has been running for over 30 years. When we come back, Mountain Dew creates the most terrifying mascot of all time. If you're enjoying this episode, you might

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also like Wacky ad Spaces Season 8

[Terry O'Reilly]

Episode 2 where we tell the story of a McDonald's location on the property of Windsor Castle. You'll find this episode on your favorite podcast app.

[Hannah Berner]

Hi, this is Hannah Berner from Giggly Squad. Have you ever put on a bra that makes you feel like a goddess? Prepare to be obsessed with the Dream Angels Wicked Bra from Victoria's Secret, the iconic brand behind the world' most comfortable bras. And I only wear the most comfortable bras. The bestseller features an innovative sling for perfect lift without padding and the fit is Chef's kiss. Awaken your inner goddess with new colors and super femme lace embroidery. Find out why this bra has thousands of five star reviews and counting. Shop it in stores and online@victoria's secret.com

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if you've ever dreamed of quitting your job to take your side hustle full time. Listen up. This is Nikayla Matthews Akome, host of side Hustle Pro, a podcast that helps you build and grow from passion project to profitable business. Every week you'll hear from guests just like you who wanted to start a business on the side. If you can't run a side hustle, you can't run a business. They share real tips and so I started connecting with all these people on LinkedIn and I saw Target supplier diversity was having office hours. Real advice Procrastination is the easiest form of resistance and the actual strategies they use to turn their side hustle into their main hustle. Getting back in touch with your tangible cash and sitting down and learning to give your money a job like it changes something. Check outside hustle Pro Every week on your favorite podcast app and YouTube,

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[Terry O'Reilly]

Acast.com podcast advertising works. And with Acast Ads Academy, you'll learn exactly how. Our free on demand courses are built from more than a decade of podcasting experience, giving you practical tools to create campaigns that drive results. Complete the course and you'll earn a certification that proves your skills in one of the fastest growing channels in media. Get started today at go.acast.com academy foreign. Super Bowl 50 Mountain Dew ran a commercial that was the love child of E. Trade and Skittles. Mountain Dew wanted to advertise Kickstart, a beverage that combined Mountain Dew, fruit juice and caffeine. Three things people liked so Mountain Dew's advertising agency came up with a commercial they titled Puppy Monkey Baby. To say it was disturbing would be an understatement. As the title suggests, Mountain Dew smashed three things together a puppy, a monkey and a baby. The commercial begins with three guys sitting on a couch when one of them says, man, I might just chill tonight. Then, out of nowhere, a creature appears carrying a pail of ice and cans of Kickstarter. This creature has the legs of a baby, the body of a monkey, and the face of a pug. It jumps up onto the coffee table and says, puppy Monkey baby. Puppy Monkey baby. Puppy Monkey Baby. It hands a guy a can of Kickstarter and licks his face. Puppy Monkey Baby. Then all three of the guys get up and start dancing around the living room with the puppy Monkey baby. Puppy Monkey baby. Puppy Monkey baby. Puppy Monkey baby. Words on the screen say three awesome things combined. When that weird, unsettling ad aired, you could hear the super bowl skid to a stop. It was unlike anything you had ever seen on tv. It was disturbing and like a horrible car crash, you couldn't look away. Within seconds, the hashtag puppymonkeybaby devoured the Internet. One critic described the ad as a horror hallucination of brand awareness. Another said it was the most terrifying mascot of all time. It was definitely polarizing. Some loved it, some absolutely hated it. Yet it generated 2.2 million views online and 300,000 social media interactions immediately after it aired on the 2016 Super Bowl. Most people have probably forgotten who won that super bowl game, who sang the national anthem, and what the halftime show was. But just about everybody remembers Puppy Monkey Baby. There is a running gag when it comes to super bowl commercials that the way to stand out is to either feature a puppy, a monkey, or a baby. So Mountain Dew smashed all three together and today it is one of the most remembered and recalled ads of the super bowl, proving that if you play your card weirdly, unhinged can pay off. Liquid Death is a water brand. We've talked about it often on our show. Its purpose is to eliminate plastic water bottles from the earth. Liquid Death is sold in cans because cans are recyclable, whereas most plastic doesn't get recycled. The slogan murder your thirst. Liquid Death is also no stranger to strange advertising. In the past it has offered a corpse paint makeup line, a coffin shaped ice cooler, and Miss Fortune cookies. But this next collaboration takes it a bit further. Liquid Death actually partnered with Depend Diapers to offer the Pitt Diaper Picture a men's tight bathing suit, but made of black quilted pleather and accented with a belt, spikes and chains. The Pitt diaper is designed to hold and hide a Depends diaper. As the video advertising the Pitt Diaper says, the most annoying thing at a concert is missing songs because you have to pee and bathrooms at arenas are disgusting. So why miss a song when you can wear a pit diaper? Introducing the Pit Diaper from Liquid Death. Now you never have to leave the pit or worry about leaks ever again. Powered by Depend guards, the Pit Diaper locks away recycled liquid depth, mountain water flavored sparkling or iced tea and helps neutralize odor instantly. According to depens, roughly 100 million men and women of all ages experience bladder leaks. The Depends spokesperson also said that humor is a great way to fight the stigma of bladder leaks, and that's why Depens partnered with Liquid Death. It was an opportunity to reach a new audience and show up in an unexpected way to challenge stereotypes. Liquid Death says the brand is so successful they have created a problem by keeping people too hydrated and the pit Diaper was the perfect solution for concerts. Liquid Death not only takes care of you at concerts, but also in the afterlife. It teamed up with Spotify to create and earn with a built in speaker called the Eternal Playlist Urn. The urn contains a Bluetooth speaker in its lid, allowing it to connect to phones and other devices. Introducing the Eternal Playlist urn from Liquid Death and Spotify, the first ever urn with a built in wireless speaker. What's the worst part about being dead? You can't listen to music. Now you can enjoy all your favorite jams for eternity. Designed to look right at home on a mantle, Spotify rolled out an Eternal Playlist generator after answering a list of questions about the deceased and their musical preferences. Spotify generated a curated playlist that could be saved, streamed and shared. Liquid Death also maintains that if you keep the dead happy, they are less likely to haunt you, as music has been shown to reduce hauntings by up to 47%. So give them what they're asking for. With the latest innovation in being dead, get the Eternal Playlist. Urn, [e-mail] Spotify it's music to die. Most pizza shops promise delivery in about 30 minutes. How would you feel about waiting a year and a half for your pizza? Cheese brand Sargento prides itself on its slow, aged premium cheeses. The slower the aging, the more flavorful the fromage. To celebrate that fact, Sargento launched what it called the world's slowest pizza delivery. People could go on its website and order one of four different pizzas made from the following cheeses Aged Italian, Margherita, Gouda, bacon and apple, chicken, Parmesan and Mac and Cheddar. The pizzas take up to 18 months to arrive at your home. You heard right, that's how long it takes for the cheeses to mature. Customers could even watch a live cheese cam to track their pizzas slow progress the world's Slowest Pizza delivery An outrageously strange idea. I wonder how many people forgot all about the pizza they ordered when it arrives a year and a half later. Years ago, Old Spice emerged from decades of being your dad's aftershave to become the hippest aftershave on the market. And it all started with the man your man could smell like campaign. Remember this? Hello ladies, look at your man. Now back to me. Now back at your man. Now back to me. Sadly, he isn't me. But if he stopped using ladies. A very funny campaign, but odd. Well, Old Spice has kept that odd vibe in subsequent advertising, including this somewhat unsettling commercial. It's titled Mom Song and it's sung by various mothers who blame Old Spice for, quote, spraying their sons into a man because those sons are now discovering girls in the commercial. Moms pop up in all sorts of weird situations where their sons are with girls. One sings as she holds onto the bumper of a car as her son drives along with his girlfriend. One sings while disguised as a janitor in the school cafeteria as her son sweet talks a girl there. Another mom's head pops through the sand as her son holds hands with his girl at the beach.

[Podcast Hosts (e.g., Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner or Christy and Kelly)]

Oh, I didn't see it coming, but

[Terry O'Reilly]

it came in a can. Now my sweet son's braiding to a man. Mine too. And hey, we know just who to blame when our sons have fun with women and misbehave. Old Spies Old Spice Greater man on my son now he's kissing all the women and his chores aren't done. He was just my little sweetie, tiny fingers, hands and feeties. Now he's touching, kissing, feeling all the women because all Old Spice afraid a man of my son. Now he smells like a man and they treat him like one. You can find it on YouTube. Search Old Spice Mom Song it's weird. It's funny, but weird. Mostly in the creepy way it's shot with mom slithering out from under sofa cushions and hiding behind the bedroom doors of their son's rooms. But again, perfectly in keeping with the odd advertising of Old Spice. And that advertising put Old Spice back on the map. When we come back, a mattress company has a weird conversation with insomniacs.

[Hannah Berner]

Hi, this is Hannah Burner from Giggly Squad. Have you ever put on a bra that makes you feel like a goddess? Prepare to be obsessed with the Dream Angels Wicked Bra from Victoria's Secret, the iconic brand behind the world's most comfortable bras. And I only wear the most comfortable bras. The bestseller features an innovative sling for perfect lift without padding and the fit is Chef's Kiss. Awaken your inner goddess with new colors and super femme lace embroidery. Find out why this bra has thousands of five star reviews and counting. Shop it in stores and online@victoria's secret.com

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Acast powers the world's Best Podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend

[Podcast Hosts (e.g., Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner or Christy and Kelly)]

if you've ever dreamed of quitting your job to take your side hustle full time. Listen up. This is Nikayla Matthews Akomay, host of side Hustle Pro, a podcast that helps you build and grow from passion project to profitable business business. Every week you'll hear from guests just like you who wanted to start a business on the side. If you can't run a side hustle, you can't run a business. They share real tips and so I started connecting with all these people on LinkedIn and I saw Target supplier diversity was having office hours. Real advice. Procrastination is the easiest form of resistance and the actual strategies they use to turn their side hustle into their main hustle. Getting back in touch with your tangible cash and sitting down and learning to to give your money a job like it changes something. Check out side Hustle Pro every week on your favorite podcast app and YouTube.

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Acast helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com hey listeners, meet Russell.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Hey. Russell just launched a fitness app and he needed to get the word out to busy professionals looking to stay fit. So I turned to Acasta. I used their Smart Recommendations feature to easily find shows that talk about health and fitness. Booking sponsorships through their platform was a breeze, and just like that, my app was in their ears during their morning run. Sounds like a smart move, Russell. How's business looking now? Sweat is pouring and so are the installs. Spread the word about your business with podcast ads on Acast. Start [e-mail] advertise. A while ago, Casper Mattresses began airing short 15 second TV commercials at 2 in the morning. They wanted to talk to insomniacs. People who can't sleep the commercials were weird, showing slow motion images of plants sprouting or salmon jumping upstream with elevator type music in the background. Those images were created to be surreal, like the absurdity of dreams. They made no reference to the mattress company, but words on the screen said can't sleep? Call this phone number. And when people called that number, a British voice answered saying hello, can't sleep. Callers were then given nine phone options. By pressing different numbers, you could hear the sounds of the ocean or a motivational speech. You could learn the history of the cocktail wiener. Or by pressing 8, you could hear actor Jaleel White, who played Steve Urkel on Family Matters, sing you a lullaby. Twinkle twinkle little star How I wonder what you are up above the world so high like a diamond in the sky. Go to bed. Yep, you can also press 9 to merge into the conference call with the marketing team who came up with this idea. Or you could stay on the line and speak to a Casper sales representative. From the weird, surreal TV commercials that aired at 2am to the odd phone options, Casper wanted to stand out from all the other mattress companies who give you straight, boring information about mattresses. Kind of a wake up call for the mattress category. A weird, unhinged ad is not everyone's cup of tea. But remember, if you don't get it, the ads are probably not aimed at you. Every generation has its own sense of humor. One journalist described these ads as a paint by numbers in abstract art. And there is a generation that loves abstract advertising. The world has changed enormously because of Internet culture. Just peruse TikTok. There are a lot of very funny things on there created by everyday people. That kind of shared humor used to be the domain of funny commercials. Remember those quaint days when people would email humorous ads to each other? Well, my friend. Those days are gone. So to stand out in a sea of funny material, some advertisers are choosing to go weird. These unhinged commercials don't just take a bold stance against the boring, polished ads of the past. They are fighting to carve out a space in a social media ocean crowded with quick, funny videos. Advertisers are no longer just competing with other advertisers. They are competing with funny videos made by the very audience they are after. Today, it's be weird or die when you're under the influence. I'm Terry O'Reilly. This episode was recorded in the Terrastream Mobile recording studio. Producer Debbie O'Reilly Chief Sound Engineer Jeff Devine Theme music by Casey Pick, Jeremiah Pick and James Ayton tunes provided by APM Music. Follow me at Terry oinfluence this podcast is powered by Acast, Terry's top slogans of all time. Number 11 Canadian Tire give like Santa, save like Scrooge. See you next week.

[Hannah Berner]

Hi, this is Hannah Berner from Giggly Squad. Have you ever put on a bra that makes you feel like a goddess? Prepare to be obsessed with the Dream Angels Wicked Bra from Victoria's Secret, the iconic brand behind the world's most comfortable bras. And I only wear the most comfortable bras. The bestseller features an innovative sling for perfect lift without padding and the fit is Chef's Kiss. Awaken your inner goddess with new colors and super femme lace embroidery. Find out why this bra has thousands of five star reviews and counting. Shop it in stores and online@victoria's secret.com

[Acast Announcer]

Acast powers the world's Best Podcasts Here's a show that we recommend.

[Knox or Jamie]

Do you like being educated on things that entertain but don't matter? Well then you need to be listening to the podcast with Knox and Jamie. Every Wednesday we put together an episode dedicated to delightful idiocy to give your brain a break from all the serious and important stuff.

[Podcast Hosts (e.g., Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner or Christy and Kelly)]

Whether we're deep diving a classic movie, dissecting the true meanings behind the newest slang, or dunking on our own listeners for their bad takes or cringy stories, we always approach our topics with humor and just a little bit of side eye. And we end every episode with recommendations on all the best new movies, books, TV shows or music.

[Knox or Jamie]

To find out more, just search up the Podcast with Knox and Jamie Wherever you listen to podcasts and prepare to make Wednesday your new favorite day of the week.

[Acast Announcer]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

[Podcast Hosts (e.g., Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner or Christy and Kelly)]

Hey, it's Christy and I'm Kelly.

[Terry O'Reilly]

You might remember us as the OG

[Podcast Hosts (e.g., Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner or Christy and Kelly)]

Partners in Crime from Dance Moms. Well, this is Back to the Bar, the podcast where we drag out every insane, chaotic and iconic moment from the show.

[Terry O'Reilly]

We're spilling the tea, calling out all the BS and sharing stuff you definitely didn't see on tv.

[Podcast Hosts (e.g., Paige Desorbo and Hannah Berner or Christy and Kelly)]

New episodes drop every week, and yes, we're laughing through the trauma for once.

[Terry O'Reilly]

Follow grab a drink and join us as we go Back to the bar.

[Acast Announcer]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.